The Concrete Prison
by Ninjalara
Summary: Sequel to 'The Glass Prison'. With Donatello still trapped in captivity, Mike becomes anxious to rescue his brother. Yet how will the turtles deal with Raph's child who will never grow to know their father? Complete.
1. Waiting

Author's Note: I know I said that I would write out the whole story first, but I would like to road test the beginning chapters first just in case there's something major that needs to be changed in the plot. Currently it's looking like a big story and I've nearly finished chapter 5. The good news is that I'm finally on school holidays for about 6 weeks so hopefully I'll be able to post quite frequently despite the homework that I've been given. 

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters except for Joseph Fiffer. Rated PG-13 for mild swearing, adult and supernatural themes, and … character death.

****

The Concrete Prison.

Chapter 1: Waiting.

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London, England. 2 ½ months after captivity.

Beads of sweat emerged on Venus' forehead. Her breath quickened as her muscles painfully contracted. She gritted her teeth, trying not to cry out in agony, as the world above would clearly hear her groans. Trying to block out the pain, she focused her weary mind on the calming voice that spoke to her. 

"Just push Venus. C'mon you can do it," Mike coaxed, waiting for the baby to emerge. He watched as a rather large object started to move along an extended tube-like structure, which in turn was attached to her rather small tail. _'Must be a turtle thing…'_ Mike assumed to himself. He had no idea what he was looking at or what he was doing. 

"I can't breathe," Venus wheezed as she tried to push again.

"Yes you can. Just take deep breaths," Mike encouraged, trying to hide his concern. Michelangelo glanced worriedly over to Leonardo, who was currently pacing like a madman in nervousness. In a couple of minutes Raphael's child would be born. Leo was scared; he didn't know what to expect. Venus' pregnancy was barely in common with that of a human. Over the past two and a half months, Venus' body only slightly changed, where she developed a gradual lump where the baby would be. Her plastron had softened, as though it wasn't as thick as the rest of the shell. No one knew what to make of it.

Everyone expected Venus' pregnancy to last for nine months, like a human's, but yet again the turtles were wrong. They were all worried about what was going to happen, and none of them could deny their feelings about needing Donatello. Leonardo sighed when he thought about his brother in purple who was still in captivity. They had all agreed to travel to Washington DC next week in order to try and find out where Don was being held, but now it looked like things would have to be postponed. The last thing they wanted was to have Raphael's newborn child being raised in the hands of scientists. 

So many unanswered questions raced through Leo's head. Was it a boy or a girl? What would it eat? How will the baby grow up without ever knowing it's true father? Would the child even be a mutant? The last question had Leonardo stumped. Does their mutation effect their reproduction system and offspring? Will Venus' child be a normal turtle? Leonardo shook his head and sighed. A lot of things would be solved very soon. He cast a look over towards Venus. Leo could tell that she was in a lot of pain and that she was trying her best not to make a lot of noise. He looked at her nervously, knowing that if there were any complications with the delivery then Venus would be in deep trouble, as cesarean sections didn't exist when it came to turtles. 

Venus stopped pushing momentarily and panted, trying to get as much air into her lungs as possible, as she kept forgetting to breathe when things became more painful. She could tell that the whole ordeal was almost over. Venus' fingernails scraped over the concrete floor in desperation as she initiated her final and most painful push. This time she let out a cry of agony, arching her head back in the process. A sense of relief swept over Venus when she felt Michelangelo pull the rest of it out. The male turtle was quiet for a second. Venus' brow furrowed with worry when she realised that there weren't any cries coming from the baby. Her heart skipped a beat when she began to fear the worst. 

"Mikey?" Venus asked softly when she observed his solemnly confused expression. In an instant, Mike gave her a great big smile.

"Congratulations! It's… an egg!" he announced, showing her the large white object he held in his sticky hands.

*****

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Just outside of Washington DC, USA.

Donatello watched intently as the last worker left the high-tech room to go home, leaving him alone in his metal cage. The last couple of months had been both heaven and hell. Don enjoyed the intelligent company he was surrounded by every day. In fact, if he were human, Don could easily see himself working in the place he observed from behind the cold, steel bars; wherever this place may be. But it pained him to be away from his family. He wished he could have the best of both worlds, but that was one dream that could never come true. 

Although he was highly approved of by his caretaker, Joseph Fiffer, he simply wasn't trusted, proven by the fact that he was still behind bars like a prisoner; like a wild animal. He was just the Government's secret weapon, and the humans that he 'worked' with didn't hide that fact. Day after day Don would be given supposedly impossible codes that he would crack with extreme ease a few hours later. If he solved the problems the mathematicians gave him, then he would be fed. However if he didn't do what he was told, then he would be deprived of food until the task was completed. It was as simple and as harsh as that. He didn't know what the codes were for or whom they were from. He only had to crack them, and that was as far as it went. 

Out of everyone, Joseph was the only person who treated him fairly. Often when the turtle couldn't break the symbolically jumbled mumbo-jumbo, Joseph was always there by his side, offering encouragement. Was it friendship or was it simply beneficial to him? Donatello didn't know how sincere Joseph's companionship was. But one thing was for sure, no matter how many people actually spoke to him for comfort, none of them could compare to the family he was taken away from. 

He sighed and stared at the newspaper article Joseph had given him the day Leo, Mike and Venus had escaped from the zoo in New York, which was now currently sticky taped on to one of the many metal bars that surrounded him. It was the only memento he had of them, obviously making it extremely sentimental to the purple-wearing turtle. Deep down Donatello knew that they'd rescue him, but it was the when and how that bothered him. The turtle couldn't help but wonder what was taking so long. He knew that they were free in the wide world, so what was holding them back? Did they learn of Don's location? Have they come up with a plan and only need to wait for a certain date to execute it? Or was there some other problem that was preventing their rescue mission?

His mind traveled towards the baby that Venus was going to have. Don had no idea on how that would affect Leo's decision on when to save him from captivity. Donatello sighed once again. He glanced around the room he had spent over two months in. A few seconds later, Donatello finalised his decision; he wasn't going to wait any longer.

He glanced worriedly at the video camera pinned on his cage. Don knew that he would have to do this as fast as possible. Whirling like a tornado, Donatello smashed the computer located in the corner of his barred cell. Immediately Donatello frantically fished through the many electronic pieces in hopes of finding something useful. He was in luck. Don ran to the padlock guarding his metal prison and picked at it with a strand of copper wire. He expertly twirled the golden metal in his fingers and grinned widely in success when the solid lock sprung open. 

Not wasting even a second, Donatello stepped out of his cage for the first time. Taking the copper wire with him, Don swiftly moved over to the heavy wooden door which enclosed the dark computer graphed filled room. Another delighted click was heard soon after. Slightly relieved that his plan was going well so far, Donatello anxiously jumped out of the room and landed into a white corridor. The turtle was surprised to see that his disappearance hadn't been reported yet due to the cameras focused on his cage, as the hallway was as quiet as the death of night. 

The corridor was rather lengthy with many doors attached to its smooth walls, none of which were open. Don observed a metal door towards the end, making it stand out amongst the rest. That's where Don hurriedly headed to next. 

A severe feeling of defeat and loss latched on to him when he reached the all-important metal door to unknown freedom. Unlike the others, this door wasn't key locked, but rather it was guarded by an eight-digit combination. No matter how good he was at cracking things, Don knew through his entire body that he had failed. Startled voices were heard behind him, but Don didn't turn. Sadness had entrapped his mind. The feeling of hopelessness only sunk in more when he read the words 'The Pentagon' underneath the numbered electronic digits. He had always wondered whereabouts he was being held, and now he unfortunately found the truth to his location. The horribly familiar sting of a tranquil dart appeared on the back of his neck, but the reptile didn't flinch or move. Before he lost consciousness, Donatello knew that escaping the Pentagon was impossible and that the odds of being rescued by his family were slim to nothing. Depression and anger swamped his mind before he silently slipped to the cold floor in unconsciousness. 

*****

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London, England.

"So… now what?" Mike asked, staring at the single human baby-sized egg that was placed in front of them. There was no answer to his question. After they had cleaned Venus up, Leo and Mike gathered as many thick blankets as they could to keep the egg warm. When they observed that their solution was unsatisfactory, Leonardo immersed himself into the darkened streets of London, thankfully finding an incubator at a specialty pet shop one hour later. Luckily again for the turtles, the reptile and bird egg shelter was powered by batteries, solving their problem of finding an electric source in the cold brick walls that made up London's ancient sewer system. 

The three adult turtles had traveled to England when they realised that there were no immediate flights to either Los Angeles or Sydney from New York. Sneaking around airports had been tough especially when they tried to board planes without the baggage boys seeing them. Life hadn't become any easier when they arrived in England. 

The turtles were completely thrown out of their comfort zone. Nothing was familiar. The sewers were large and confusing; every tunnel looked the same. The weather was unpredictable, with one week consisting drenching rain while the next was as sunny as a Summer's day. By far, food was the hardest adjustment. The turtles didn't know where to get fed, as their usual feasting spots no longer existed in this unknown country. Most of the time they had to fish through the left over garbage alongside the alley cats. Money was scarce so they saved every penny, not like they would ever spend it.

Life would never be the same again. Everyone in the world knew of their existence. It wasn't like New York where people would shrug off seeing anything unusual. After escaping from captivity, humans wouldn't stop to think twice about reporting the mutant's location. The life they had could no longer be achieved. Helping humans was completely out of the question. If they were spotted even once, then everything could be over, and they'd be back to square one. This obviously made it even harder to get food, or to do anything really. Knowing this, the turtles had to be wary of their voices echoing along the tunnels, as the place the reptiles took residence in was only a floor below the concrete surface. 

"I think you set a new world record," Mike commented, still disbelieving the size of the egg. There was silence between Leonardo and Venus.

"When's it going to hatch?" Leo questioned the thought that had everyone going insane. He was slightly annoyed that Venus laid an egg, because if it had been a live birth then it would be over; no more waiting. It scared him slightly that the unrevealed creature could hatch without them knowing, and no doubt that thought scared Venus too.

"I don't know," Venus whispered in response.

"Doesn't temperature determine whether it's going to be a boy or a girl?" Mike questioned.

"I thought that was with alligators and crocodiles?" Leo answered, unsure of himself.

"I thought it was just with turtles?" Mike said, equally confused.

"Donatello would have known," Venus said softly. A regretful reflection descended upon them. "I don't know what to do," Venus whispered almost fearfully. The two males looked at her with sorrow.

"What do you mean?" Leo questioned softly.

"I don't feel that maternal instinct. It's… it's an egg. Before, when I thought it was going to be a live birth, I felt for sure that I would feel something for it. But… I don't. I have no idea of how I'm going to take care of this baby… I don't feel anything," Venus admitted, eyes glued to the large, warm egg.

"You will," Leo said affirmatively. 

"How do you know?" She whispered.

"When this baby hatches and wraps it's little hand around your finger, you'll know what to do," Leonardo explained with a comforting tone. Mike nodded as encouragement. 

"But what if it's like a normal turtle and doesn't need to depend on me? It might not even be a mutant…" Venus worried.

"Whatever ends up happening, we'll always be here to help you. You're not alone in this," Mike assured her. The female turtle sighed wearily, gladly accepting a supportive hug from Mikey.

"Thank you," she whispered when she took in everything that the two males had told her. No matter what happens, she knew that she would never be left alone. 


	2. The Birth of Venus

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters except for Joseph Fiffer and Venus' child… well… sort of…

Chapter 2: The Birth of Venus.

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London, England. 3 months later: 5 ½ months after captivity. 

Venus sighed softly and flipped over the page of the book she was reading. Her eyes briefly studied what the other two turtles were doing. Both males were sitting on the dilapidated couch they had found; one of the only things they had in their makeshift lair. They had also managed to come by a substantial desk and few other run-down chairs, but that was all. She quietly observed Leonardo meditating before skimming her eyes over towards Mikey who was also currently reading. 

In a way, nothing had changed since they had been trapped in the glass prison. Talking was still the main form of entertainment. With all those months spent in captivity, the turtles had learnt to live life without a television, phone, computer, or anything else that was remotely 20th Century. Living underground in a large, cold damp sewer made things seem as though they were living in the time of the Industrial Revolution. 

A small crackling sound was heard, as though a thick piece of paper had been rustled. Venus acknowledged the noise, but passed it off to be Mike turning one of the pages of his book. The sound returned. Venus looked up, positive that the noise didn't originate from Mike that time. A faint garble was emitted from the incubation box. Mike looked up from his book and Leonardo's eyes shot open, destroying his meditative state. As a group, they all rushed over towards the large egg that Venus had laid a few months ago. 

Venus squeezed Leo's hand in both delight and excitement as she viewed the tiny green life form trying to break out of the eggshell. Mike's arms reached out towards the struggling hatching but Venus stopped him. "It's best not to help. It builds up strength this way," Venus advised him softly. All three turtles watched with keen and anxious eyes as the human-sized turtle flimsily pushed and grappled against the white breakable enclosure. When enough of the creature emerged, Venus sighed quietly with relief when she saw that it was in the form of themselves. The humanoid turtle had three fingers on each hand and a trademark wide mouth. The baby had gorgeous light blue eyes, but Venus assumed that like the little 'egg tooth' on it's nose, they would eventually disappear and change colour, as both Venus and Raphael had brown iris'.

The hatchling baby-garbled in wonder once again before the half-broken shell rolled to the side, making it easier to crawl completely out. Venus, Leonardo and Michelangelo watched through blissful tears as the tiny turtle squirmed, slowly getting it's two little legs - complete with two toes on each - out into the open. The three adult turtles took a moment to look at the hatchling's whole body.

"Congratulations! It's… a turtle!" Mike said happily.

Venus giggled at Mike's remark, knowing that he could never tell the difference. "It's a boy," she informed the other two wistfully. They curiously continued to watch as the little male slowly traveled forward, wriggling and sliding on his small plastron. Leo noted that the child was more developed than what a newborn human was as far as movement and body proportion was concerned, yet it was nowhere near as independent as a wild turtle hatchling.

The little reptile stopped moving to rest for a moment, allowing his head and blue eyes to bewilderedly search and gaze around at this new and foreboding world. Venus tenderly reached forward and cradled the lost creature in her arms. Curious and comforted at the same time, the small turtle reached out and wrapped his tiny hand around one of his mother's fingers. In an instant, all of Venus' worries disappeared, completely awestruck by the delicate and dependent little baby in her arms. A single tear slid down her cheek in happiness and loving gratitude. 

Leonardo carefully took the baby from Venus' arms when she offered him. A proud smile spread across Leo's face as he stared at the baby's little perplexed face. All of a sudden, the turtle circled his legs around rapidly as though he had just learnt to use them. His tiny feet slapped against Leo's hard plastron looking as if the baby was kicking him. Michelangelo simply laughed at the turtle's antics. 

"That's Raph's son alright. It's fighting with you already!" Mike joked, yet there was a hint of sorrow heard in his voice when he mentioned the decease's name. The baby stopped kicking, finding something else more interesting. His tiny hand reached upwards towards Leonardo's face. Leo responded by lowering his head, allowing the little turtle to curiously place a hand on the top of his nose. The blue wearing reptile smiled widely at the boy's cute open-mouthed expression, and gave a chuckle when the baby tugged on his bandanna tails. 

Mike gently reached out and delicately took the hatchling out of Leo's hold. The adult giggled with childlike joy as the little turtle unexpectedly blew a spit bubble. Mikey pulled a funny face, only to have the tiny turtle stare at him blankly, not knowing how to respond. Mike giggled once again. "He looks exactly like us… just he's one-eighth our size. Kinda like Mini Me from 'Austin Powers 2'!… Of course, he'll need to build up a few muscles before he can pass off as a small clone of one of us," Mike babbled on, noticing the slightly flabby limbs.

"You watch too many movies," Leo commented with a smile. "So what are you going to call him?" Leo asked seriously, turning back to Venus. After kissing the top of his little, bald domed head, Mike gently placed the baby into Venus' cradling arms. The female smiled and stared at the life form she had created.

"You know, according to Greek myth, Venus' son was Cupid," Mike suggested.

"I'm not calling him Cupid," Venus stated simply but with a gentle smile. She continued to cradle the baby in her arms, gently swaying from side to side. "Look at him, he's not even crying. He's a little angel," Venus whispered softly. 

"We could keep with the Renaissance artist theme. Maybe we can call him Giotto, or Titian, or Lorenzo…" Leonardo suggested. 

"I already told you what I wanted to call him, back when we were trapped in the zoo… I'd like to name him Raphael. Not after the painter, but rather after his father… and the angel," Venus said with sentimentality. She sighed deeply as her eyes began to swell heavily with unreleased tears. "I can't help but wonder what his father would have thought of him… I wish he could have seen him," Venus cried, allowing herself to shed a few tears in front of Leo and Mike.

Leonardo gave her a faint smile. "I'm sure Raph would be proud of his son… I'll make sure of it," Leonardo whispered with saddened determination. 

*****

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The Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia, USA.

It was late. The mathematicians who worked in the room that surrounded Donatello's cage had all gone home. All except for one. Joseph Fiffer tiredly looked the mutant turtle in the eyes. Donatello's only response was a dejected shift of gaze to the floor. Joseph sighed at Don's desolate expression. 

He'd been like this ever since his escape attempt. Don was slowly losing hope. He knew that The Pentagon was like a city in itself, and even though it would only take under seven minutes to walk from any two points, it was going to be quite impossible to escape without bumping into anyone. Not only was he lonely and greatly missing his family, but he was also angry; furious that he didn't have a clue on what he was helping the military accomplish. 

The turtle frowned as Joseph handed him another sheet of jumbled and nonsense markings, hoping for him to discover a way to read it. "Donatello, please. Please cooperate," Joseph pleaded, pushing the piece of paper further into the cell. Donatello simply backed away with a stubborn look in his eyes. Joseph sighed once again. The human removed his arm from in-between the metal bars, taking the coded message back out with him. "What happened to you? You used to like cracking codes," Joseph wondered.

"Well I don't anymore," Donatello sharply replied back.

"Don, what's the matter? What's bothering you?" Joseph asked, becoming concerned. Donatello silently fumed for a few seconds. After months of being cooped up in a cage, Donatello was easily irritated.

"Who am I working for? Why am I in the Pentagon of all places!? I'm not going to cooperate unless you guys treat me fairly and tell me a few things!" Donatello crossed his stubborn arms and stared at the mathematician with impatience. 

Joseph took a moment to prepare an answer. "There's a dangerous group of terrorists situated in an unknown location, though we have reason to believe that they're within the United States. So far, with your help, we've been able to prevent a couple of disasters, yet if we don't find out where they are, we fear that they'll eventually succeed," the human explained slowly, carefully monitoring Don's inquisitive expression.

"But why do you need me? I mean, why did you think that I, an animal, would be able to help?" Don asked, detesting his origins.

"When I first saw your mathematical equations, I knew that you were uncannily capable of doing such a task. You wrote down things that no human had ever seen before. At that point in time, we could crack the codes that we intercepted from the terrorist group, but it took us way too long. The military was ready to try anything new. At first we weren't sure how bright and capable you really are, so we gave you a few dud codes to crack and a couple of intelligence tests. When you started to cooperate with us, we began the real thing, giving you the proper codes to crack, which then led us to solve the whereabouts of the next terrorist target," Joseph explained more in depth. 

Donatello remained silent, taking in every single word he was being told. "So Don. Please work with us. You're saving innocent people's lives," Joseph said softly.

"How do I know what you're saying is true?" Donatello questioned, voice low as if he was still comprehending his situation.

Joseph looked at him awkwardly, unsure whether or not he should tell him the next piece of information. "Don… If you don't cooperate soon… they're going to drug you. I'm telling you as a friend who cares about your well being. The Government wants results and they don't have time to muck around. They have threatened to start doing experiments on you, to make you more sociable, if you don't improve by the end of next week. Please Don, crack this new code. If you value your mental health then you will do this," Joseph pleaded, handing the turtle the piece of paper he held in his sweaty hand. 

Donatello sighed and stared at the article about his family that was still sticky taped to the cage metal bars. Joseph noticed where his gaze lay. "You miss them, don't you?" the human questioned. Donatello moved his lonely gaze to the floor.

"Of course I do," Don whispered, feeling his eyes beginning to sting with bitter tears. Both of them were silent. Joseph was genuinely concerned with Donatello. It was his idea to include him with the code-intercepting and cracking program, therefore he was to blame or praise with every good or bad thing the turtle did. It only took a matter of days to become reasonably friendly with the overgrown reptile, and over the past couple of months, Joseph felt he had grown even closer to Donatello. He had to admit that he first saw Don simply as a secret weapon to use against the bothersome terrorists, but now after getting to know the mutant better, he could trust him like a friend and would respect his privacy, especially when it came to his family. 

"Would you like to talk about it?" Joseph asked quietly, knowing that that sometimes made Don feel better. The turtle glanced at him, not really knowing exactly how much he could trust the human. 

"Promise that you won't tell anyone?" Don asked, still unsure, but wanting to tell someone how he felt.

"I promise. You know that I'm good at keeping other's secrets," Joseph encouraged.

Donatello took in a deep breath before he began. "You know Raphael and Venus?" Don started.

"The female and the one who was…"

"Yeah, him," Don affirmed, saving Joseph from completing the awkward sentence. "Well… before I was taken away from the zoo, Venus learnt that she was pregnant with his child…"

In one moment, Joseph understood why Don was acting the way he was. "…I know that my family could really use my help in raising the baby. I just wish I knew what was happening with them. I don't even know if the baby's been born yet, or even how many children Venus is going to have, or how she's going to give birth, or… or if it's even a mutant, or what it's going to look like…" Don trailed off, sadly thinking about all the things that he was hopelessly missing. 

Joseph sighed, slowly understanding the emotional pain that Donatello must be going through. "I promise I won't tell anyone… I really wish I could help you…" Joseph said with sincerity. 

Don nodded and wiped a tear that had escaped from his waterlogged eyes. A small smile appeared on his face, feeling slightly better that he had told someone what was bothering him. He gingerly gave the page of coded messages a quick look over. "I'll have it done by the morning," he said softly, realising that he'd better get back to working. Joseph gave him an encouraging smile before leaving the turtle to do his magic. 

*****

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London, England.

A new kind of entertainment had been born. Leonardo, Michelangelo and Venus all sat in a circle, keenly watching the antics of the hatchling that wriggled around in the middle. The three turtles never knew how captivating babies really were until now. 

Raphael, or as Mikey had already nicknamed, Lil' Raphy, continued to slide along the ground as his arms weren't strong enough to support his body weight and crawl as of yet. The adults smiled at Raph's baffled facial expressions as he slowly explored his brand new world. Mike laid down on his plastron, causing Raphael to let out a deluded baby sound, making the adults grin at his innocent bewilderment. 

"Coochy coochy coo!" Mike cooed from his position on the ground. The baby blankly stared him in the eyes before suddenly giving the orange-wearing turtle a toothless little grin. "Oh, look at that! He's smiling! All his little gummy bits! Hello, Lil' Raphy!" Mike said excitedly, pointing to the baby that grinned in front of him. Leonardo scrambled over to observe the sight. "Oh… he's stopped," Mike said. Leo rolled his eyes and returned to his original spot around the circle. Venus giggled at Leo's pouting expression. 

They watched as Raphael wriggled even closer towards Mikey, before stopping once again to weirdly look at his surroundings. Then, for seemingly no reason, the baby's face crinkled with disturbance. Raphael began to heave out small whimpers before letting out a huge wail. Venus immediately picked the little turtle up and cradled him in her arms while Leo worried about whether or not the noise would make it to the surface. Leonardo gestured for her to hurry up and calm him down. 

Venus rocked him gently from side to side as a panicking feeling slowly rose from the bottom of her gut. She rapidly wondered what Raphael wanted. "Maybe he wants a diaper change?" Mike suggested.

"He's not wearing a diaper!" Venus answered, quickly becoming distressed. 

"Well maybe he wants one," Mike said. Leo and Venus shook their heads. They decided an hour ago that they wouldn't buy diapers, mainly because it would be too hard to constantly change them with such a limited means of getting supplies, and also because it was unnatural for a turtle; slightly forcing the baby's legs to be splayed. They figured that they would take care of the situation like they would a dog, as degrading as it sounded, because it was much easier to simply grab a plastic bag and dispose of it instead of getting diapers from supermarkets. Besides, turtles didn't go to the toilet half as much as humans went. 

Raphael continued to wail, causing Venus to quicken her swaying in hopes that it would calm him down faster. "Does he want to go to sleep?" Leo asked.

"Then why doesn't he just shut his eyes!" Mike answered, getting aggravated and worried about the volume of noise.

"What does he eat?!" Venus asked, voice full of concern. Leonardo and Michelangelo swiftly glanced at each other before helplessly shrugging. Becoming distressed that she didn't know what her baby wanted, she raised him higher to her chest. All of a sudden Raph stopped crying and started to suckle. Venus looked at the baby weirdly.

"I didn't know that they produced milk!" Leo said, reflecting the same confused face Venus had. Mike placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Leo… that's what breasts are for," Mike informed him casually. 

"Yeah but… we're turtles. Reptiles. It's mammals that produce milk," Leo said, still completely bamboozled.

Venus quietly sat down on the couch, still holding the feeding baby in her arms. "Well… maybe it's because we're half human… At least I now know why I even have breasts…" Venus said softly. Mike started to snigger. Leo elbowed him in the stomach as a sign for him to stop acting immaturely. When they were quiet, Venus continued. "It does explain why my plastron has become thinner. Maybe it works like a selectively permeable membrane?" Venus wondered.

"Selecta-what?" Mike blurted out.

"Selectively permeable membrane. If you ever listened to Splinter when he taught us basic chemistry and biology then you'd know what it is," Leo lectured him. "Simply put, it's where only certain substances can cross through a barrier, while other substances cannot. So in Venus' case, only milk will pass through her plastron whilst blood and other things will not," Leonardo explained to Mike. The orange turtle gave Leo the impression that everything he had just said went straight into one ear and out the other. Leonardo simply groaned and returned his focus back to little Raphy and Venus.

When the little turtle stopped suckling, Venus instinctively helped to burp him. Afterwards, he opened his little mouth up wide and gave a long yawn before allowing his blue eyes to flutter to a close. Venus slowly caressed his tiny face with a finger as she sighed with contentment. Leonardo and Mike continued to look at the little hatchling with awe. 

A/N: With two characters having the same name there is most likely going to be some confusion at times, but I'll try my best to make what Raphael I'm referring to as blatantly obvious as possible. For instance, if Raphael is crying, then one would think I'm referring to the baby. Also if Don is thinking about Raph, then obviously I'm referring to the deceased red wearing, rough and rude adult, as Don hasn't met the baby.


	3. Choices

Chapter 3: Choices.

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London, England. A few weeks later…

Michelangelo and Leonardo silently sloshed through the dark sewer tunnels towards their makeshift lair. A loaf of commercial bread swung loosely in Mike's grip, while Leo firmly held on to a bottle of milk in one hand and a packet of plastic party cups in the other. Their food raid had been rather successful tonight; swiftly managing to swipe the objects without being detected by the petrol station shop assistant or the security cameras, due to the unusual lack of activity in the quiet streets of London. 

Leonardo glanced at Mike's solemn expression, pondering on why the orange clad turtle was so withdrawn tonight, as he usually couldn't keep his mouth shut. "Penny for your thoughts?" Leonardo offered, wondering what he was thinking. The two turtles continued their journey through the sewer; Leo waiting patiently for an answer. 

"I've been thinking… I want to go back to America," Mike said seriously. Leonardo stopped walking, and quickly after, Mike ceased traveling as well.

"Why do you say that?" Leo couldn't help but ask.

"It's just…" Mike tried to put together what he was going to say. "I know how you feel about Venus, and I can't help but think that I'm getting in the way. You know, two's a couple, three's a crowd… I really want Donny back…" Mike finished. 

Leonardo sighed. He didn't expect Mike to say that. "I don't think it's a good idea, going by yourself. What about the baby?"

"Raphael's gonna be fine. He's got both you and Venus to look after him. But I'm really worried about Don. He's been in captive isolation for months now… I want to see him again," Mike pleaded his case.

"Mikey… We can't get ourselves separated. What if you get caught? It's dangerous to be in New York, Washington, or anywhere else in the United States," Leonardo argued. Mike stared at him sternly.

"I'm not a kid anymore Leo," Mike said softly but with intention. Leonardo sighed, knowing that his 'little' brother was right. Michelangelo had grown up considerably since the unforgettable events in the glass prison. Leonardo looked down the tunnel they were currently in.

"We're almost home," Leo stated simply before walking again. Mike continued to follow him, still in deep thought about his decision. Both turtles bent down low and slowly treaded through a rather small pipe. At the other end was their lair; a considerably large blank concrete area with only another rusty pipe for an emergency exit. Although it was incredibly smaller and less high-tech than their old subway home in New York, they managed to be contented and thankful for what they had. Inside the lair, Venus greeted them both with a large smile before diverting her attention back to the little turtle in her arms. 

"How is he?" Leo asked out of curiosity. Venus gave him another wide grin.

"Raphy was crawling around earlier!" Venus informed him with delight. She watched as Mike and Leo's faces brightened. 

"Really?" Mike asked, astonished at how fast Raphael was learning considering that human babies would take months to figure out how to crawl. Willing to prove what she claimed, Venus placed the fidgeting hatchling on the ground before giving him some space. All three adults looked on with pride as the little turtle balanced itself on his hands and knees. Leo gave an amused smirk while Mike and Venus giggled at Raph's confused newly brown eyes, when he realised that he was traveling in the wrong direction. Human babies learnt to crawl backwards first, and it looked like Raph was no exception. 

Venus didn't let him crawl too far in case he became too bold with his new ability. Once again she cradled Raphael in her arms before deciding to place him in the run-down crib they had been fortunate to find in one of the deserted alleys a week ago. Satisfied that Raphael wasn't going anywhere, she turned her attention back on to the two males who were currently trying to find a suitable place to put the milk and bread.

Venus noticed the uneasy glances between Leo and Mike as they slowly completed their task. "What's wrong?" Venus asked, wondering why she was sensing this disturbance. Leo and Mike looked at each other in silence, as if not knowing what to say. It was Leonardo who decided to speak up.

"Mike wants to go back to America to rescue Donatello."

*****

__

The Pentagon, Virginia, USA. One day later…

Donatello looked on from his cage with glee as the mathematicians celebrated with a bottle of expensive champagne. They had recently received news that the terrorist group living within the United States were caught and disarmed, thanks to Don who cracked the final code detailing their exact whereabouts and prominent targets. Months of hard work and sleepless nights had paid off, and everyone was in the party mood. 

Although he was proud of the fact that he had saved millions of lives, Donatello couldn't help but eventually look at the partying workers with disdain, feeling like an outsider. Loud music began to play after a quick check was conducted to see whether any more terrorists were detected. Ecstatic, the humans cheerfully gathered around and chatted with each other as they delicately held their wineglasses, every one of them ignoring the caged up mutant turtle who sat in the middle of his barred cell. Donatello tried his best to talk to some of the people, but to no avail. 

Donatello gloomily waited until the humans could barely stand due to either their tired and sore feet, or because of their level of alcohol consumption. The turtle watched as they left the room one by one, obviously going home to their families to continue the celebration. Joseph Fiffer remained behind everyone else. Sober as anything, he slowly picked up the mulitcoloured streamers that were strewn across the floor. 

"Don't you have a family to go to?" Donatello asked him with a slight bitter tone. The mathematician looked up from what he was doing and slowly shook his head.

"Never married and I don't have a girlfriend," Joseph informed him, trying his best to sound cheerful. 

"Oh…" was all Don managed to utter in response. Both of them were silent for a moment. Joseph continued to clear up the mess left behind by the other partying workers. When he was finished, he scanned his eyes across the room only to notice that the red 'power' light on the video camera in the corner of the room was off. Joseph cunningly thought of a plan.

"Don, listen. I want to thank you for helping us. Without you, I don't know what we would have done. There's nothing really of concern to us right now, but there could very well be another terrorist threat from a new group in a couple of months or even next week. I would be honoured if you continued to work with us… but I want to give you a choice," Joseph said, causing Don's eyebrows to furrow with curiosity. The turtle was listening intently.

"The video camera in the corner of the room isn't working, so I'm going to have to see what's wrong with it. It'll take me three minutes to walk over to that department in the Pentagon, and three minutes to walk back. If they're having computer problems then at most it will take me around eight minutes to fix it. That gives you about six to fourteen minutes to escape, otherwise I won't have an alibi as to where I was. If I come back and find you missing, then I'm going to have to sound the alarm so I'm not suspected," Joseph explained. 

Donatello was astonished at what the mathematician was offering. "Why are you doing this?" he questioned with disbelief.

"I once wished that I could help you. Now I am. You have a family to go to and you should be with them, not spending lonely nights talking to me," Joseph said softly. The mathematician sighed before continuing. 

"It takes approximately five minutes to walk to the exit, but if you run it'll only take around two. The combination for the door down the hall is 5, 3, 6, 9, 1, 0, 3, 0. You will then reach another corridor. The door down the end of that one has a six-digit combination code. It's 8, 6, 1, 2, 8, 7. The next corridor over is the least guarded of the three and the door only has a three-digit combination: 5, 9, 3. After that you'll be in the visitor's centre, where you can easily break a glass window to get outside. Of course, by doing that the alarms are sounded… If you do choose to escape, then I wish you the best of luck Don. It's been a pleasure working with you," Joseph said. 

Donatello watched as Joseph extended his right arm. The turtle smiled with gratitude as he shook the mathematician's hand. "Thanks," Don said softly. He observed Joseph Fiffer leave the room for the last time. Don wasn't about to waste this opportunity to escape. The turtle waited for a minute, giving Joseph enough time to leave the corridor outside the room, so he wouldn't be questioned later on as to why he on purposely let him go. He looked around his cage one last time and tucked the article featuring the escape of his family into the back of his bandanna for safekeeping, as he didn't have a belt. 

Quick as a flash, Donatello smashed his computer and, like he did before, fished through the contents to find a decent piece of wiring. He rushed over to the cage's padlock and managed to pick it in no time. Once opened, he swiftly moved to the wooden door and twiddled the thin piece of wire around its keyhole. A click was heard soon after. Not wanting to waste any of his precious time, Donatello frantically bolted down the white corridor. '_53691030. 53691030. 53691030. 53691030. 53691030_', Don repeated the combination over and over again in his head as he quickly sped towards the looming thick metal door.

He skidded to a halt when he reached it. Donatello tried his best to remain focused even though his heart was beating a mile a minute. He entered the number that was resonating in his head. Relief swept through him when the control pad glowed green; symbolising that the combination was indeed correct. He noticed that the security cameras that lined the hall were all defective; obviously the electronic problem didn't solely reside in his room, and was probably why he managed to get as far as he had. 

Not wasting any time, he began to run again; his feet pounding on the white, slick surface of the new corridor. The next combination was repeated over and over in his head. Thankfully, Don had had months of practice in remembering long digit codes. As he expected, the six-digit combination worked like a charm and in no time he was sprinting down the final white corridor.

'_593. 593. 593. 593. 593,_' the code spiraled around his brain. He reached the final metal door in what seemed like seconds. Hands shaking uncontrollably in adrenaline, he pressed in the numbers five, nine and… '_What was the last number again?_' Don's mind went blank. '_Dammit think! What was it? …Good one Donny!! You forget the easiest code of all!!_' Donatello's mind screamed with anger and sarcasm. His fingers tensed over the keypad as sweat dribbled down his panicked face. He scowled in frustration, knowing he was wasting precious time. Anxious, Don closed his eyes and pressed a number at random.

He leaped for joy when the control pad glowed green, allowing the metal door to open. Don ran into a large darkened area complete with an information desk and café. Heart pumping with adrenaline, he took Joseph's advice and smashed through a window, giving himself small little cuts as a result. A loud siren was heard, causing Donatello to sprint like a madman over the grassy lawn outside and to jump the barb wire fence like a pro. Not stopping for anything, Donatello ran through the darkness of the night, enjoying the freedom of feeling the cool wind whipping through his purple bandanna tails. 

*****

__

Heathrow Airport, England. Two hours earlier…

Leonardo and Michelangelo calmly watched the large jet from the safety of the shadows. "I should be boarding it soon," Mike said anxiously."It'll take me directly to Washington DC," Michelangelo added timidly. It would be his first time completely away from the rest of his family. Leonardo sighed, worried about whether or not he'll ever see Mike again, as there was a high risk of being captured. 

"At least you don't have to stop in New York," Leo tried to think on the bright side. "Take care. Be careful, okay?" Leo advised him, bringing his brother into a hug.

"I'll be fine. Donny will join me halfway through my trip, remember?" Mike said, determined to rescue his intelligent brother from wherever he was being held captive. At first Leonardo disapproved of Mike going by himself, but soon he reassessed the situation and discovered that Michelangelo was in fact right; they all missed Donatello greatly. Leonardo gave him a supportive smile. 

"I hope you find him," Leo said softly. The two remained silent for a few seconds, reflecting on everything that they had discussed about this mission. Mike looked over towards his plane and noticed that the baggage loaders had disappeared for the moment.

"C'ya later Leo. And don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Good luck with Venus," Mike said with a wide grin and a wink, causing his older brother to roll his eyes. All of a sudden, Mike became excited about his upcoming expedition. Leonardo waved him farewell and sighed with relief when his brother successfully sneaked aboard the cargo hold of the airplane. 

*****

Venus huddled into the armrest of the single dilapidated couch, patiently waiting for Leonardo to return from Heathrow airport. She looked over to the baby crib only to observe that Raph was still sleeping. Venus shivered as she heard a single drop of water drip into a puddle. Although she was now twenty and had been living with the guys for the past three years, Venus still got the creeps from being confined all alone in the deep depths of the sewers. 

She sighed in hopes of calming her nerves, and reached for a yellowing and tattered-paged novel. Venus only managed to read up to the third paragraph when she was interrupted by Raphael's sudden loud crying. The female calmly walked over and tried to soothe her small infant. 

Up above, in the dark streets of London, a man smoked a cigarette in silence. All of a sudden a noise drifted through the air: the sound of a baby being distressed. He looked around curiously, expecting to find the source of the disturbance to be within a nearby apartment. The man listened to the faint cries a little longer, only to find they originated from below the storm water drain that was a metre away. He bent down lower to the ground to confirm what his ears were telling him. Not having any second thoughts, he reached into his pocket and used his cell phone to alert both the police and ambulance that there was a baby trapped and abandoned in the sewers.

A/N: I'm going on holidays very soon, so this story won't be updated until the 2nd of January. Sorry about that. But to make it up to you guys I've created another 'What Would You Do?' question on my website. So if you're game enough to answer it you can include it in the review or an email. It's just for fun. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and New Year.


	4. Turtle Chase

A/N: Well obviously I'm back from holidays. The first half was spent out in rural Australia with my family where we visited my Grandpa and his farm for Christmas (it was 40 degrees Celsius out there!! – but I must say that he has excellent air conditioning). The better half of my holiday was then spent at a sports camp with my friends where we celebrated the New Year. The most memorable moment was when a kookaburra swooped and landed on the archery target before attacking my arrow o_0 Where's a camera when you need it?…

Anyway thanks for voting for The Glass Prison and SimTurtles in the TMNT Fanfiction Awards. I really appreciate your support. Now, on with the chapter!

Chapter 4: Turtle Chase.

__

Washington DC.

Donatello exhaustedly jogged through the complex sewer tunnels that spread underneath Washington DC. After escaping the Pentagon, Don had managed to secretly hitch a ride on a large truck that was carrying a number of new cars for cargo. Once he reached the nation's capital, the turtle instinctively headed for the nearest manhole, hoping to hide from any possible pursuers. 

Donatello rested for a moment. His chest was beating rapidly and his brow was soaked with sweat. He couldn't remember the last time he had exercised. Trying his best to relax, Don cautiously listened to the sounds of the echoing sewers. He could have sworn he heard footsteps. Donatello held his breath, furiously straining to hear over the rapid beating of his own heart. Nothing was heard. 

A cold draft drifted along the tunnel, causing Don to shiver due to his sweat covered body. He rubbed his upper arms for warmth, before freezing in panic. The turtle's eyes snapped to the small lump in his lower shoulder area, only to confirm the sense of doom he was feeling in his churning gut. _'The tracking device! They'll know where I am!'_ his thoughts raced.

Desperately he scoured the sewer tunnel for anything that could be used to remove the tracking device from his arm, but the area was surprisingly clean. Don growled in frustration, angry at his own stupidity for not noticing it sooner. His head whipped around swiftly and caught sight of a flashlight's beam bouncing off the walls of the curved tunnel. He was about to be discovered once again.

Using all the remaining energy he could find, Donatello sprinted further down the dark tunnel while remaining as quiet as an alley cat. To his utmost joy, he spotted a ladder in the rebounding light, reaching into the world above. The turtle didn't waste even a second and climbed upwards, escaping from the sewers. A dark alley greeted him in the thick moonlight. He panicked when voices were heard from the depths below. His pursuers were right on his tail. Instinctively Donatello wanted to climb to the rooftops, but after failing to spot a method in order to do that, the turtle realised that he had no other choice but to run along the sidewalk. 

It was the middle of the night so there weren't that many people walking the streets, yet there were still plenty driving on the roads. Donatello continued to run, trying to ignore the shocked stares of the vehicle owners. He knew that he couldn't do this forever; he needed to remove the tracking device from his arm. _'But how!?'_ Don's mind screamed frantically. The last thing he wanted was to be shot down by a tranquilizer dart gun. 

Bare feet slapping against the footpath, Donatello urged himself to carry on. He rapidly turned at the end of the small city block, ready to run down another long stretch of concrete. The turtle stopped for a split second to catch his ragged breath. Ears straining, Don acknowledged a foreboding sound carried by the wind. 

He shielded his eyes in horror as a spotlight from a low flying helicopter was focused on him. Don jumped out of the light just in time to avoid getting tranquilized by the sniper in the aircraft. Chest heaving from exhaustion, Donatello started to run again, only this time a helicopter had joined the chase. He frantically searched for a way to remove the tracking device. The turtle skidded to a stop when he realised he had just passed a hospital situated on the opposite side of the road. Adrenaline pumped, he drastically crossed the rather busy road. Not wasting anymore precious time, he didn't wait for an oncoming car to pass but instead frantically slid over the metal bonnet, and forward somersaulted to dodge another vehicle heading in the other direction. 

Donatello slammed through the hospital doors, desperate to avoid the spotlight of the chopper outside. The injured people in the waiting room screamed as he passed, but he didn't care. Don bolted down the white corridors and jumped over patients in hospital beds that were being pushed by shocked nurses. Brains coming into play, he pushed his way behind the heavy metal doors to enter the emergency room. Surgeons looked up from their current operation and hurriedly vacated the room as soon as they could. Grabbing a scalpel, Donatello made a rash incision into his arm. Blood dripped onto the floor as he squeezed and flicked the tracking device out of his shoulder; too adrenaline rushed to bother about the pain. 

Donatello constantly stared at the operating theatre doors, fearing a bombardment of soldiers and tranquilizer guns. Not having time to sew stitches, Don grabbed some bandaging off a nearby steel table and hurriedly wrapped it around his arm, swiftly biting the end instead of using the scissors that were available.

Donatello grinned after becoming free from the hell-bound tracking device. Now he could put his stealthy ninja skills into play to avoid being caught by the pursuers outside. 

Fifteen seconds later, ten army personnel armed to the teeth with rifles and other sedative weapons barged into the operating theatre. They all stopped when they spotted the bloody tracking device on the cold white floor. The turtle was nowhere to be seen.

*****

__

One hour later…

Donatello hung up the receiver of the pay phone after learning what flights were available from the nearby airport. After stealthily avoiding the many soldiers that were after him, Donatello had cautiously made it to his destination, although he still had to be careful about being seen or found. 

The turtle sighed, reflecting on the information he was just given. There were no immediate direct flights to either London or Los Angeles, but there was one to New York he could sneak onto that left in an hour. He hoped with all his heart that there would be an easy connecting flight to LA or London from there instead. 

*****

__

London, England.

Raphael continued to cry, despite everything Venus tried to do. She knew very well that the noise could travel up to the surface. Venus continued to cradle her infant in her arms, trying her best to calm him down. She could tell that the baby was getting agitated from all the crying he had endured only to not succeed in what he wanted. 

Venus worriedly gazed over at the entrance pipe, fearing that a human would discover them at any moment. The female turtle was getting more and more concerned as she couldn't hear anything over the baby's wails. Raphael lowered his voice for a couple of seconds, and within that short space of time, Venus believed that she heard something; somebody down the many tunnels of the sewers.

Her heart beat faster and Raphael's wails became louder once again, destroying her ability to hear her surroundings. She hesitated before placing Raph back in his crib, instinctively not wanting to abandon her child. Yet Venus had no choice and, as quietly possible, she left the lair to see if everything was alright.

Venus slowly walked away from the safety of the narrow pipe and began to stealthily travel down the dark tunnel; hearing Raphael's constant cries in the distance. Suddenly she stopped, listening hard to the distinct footsteps nearby… very nearby. Venus couldn't breathe due to her inner fear of being discovered. She wished it was just Leonardo, but she knew the footsteps weren't originating from his movements; the noise was definitely coming from a person walking with shoes. 

Venus froze when she heard the human's pace quicken, obviously because they had figured out where the 'stranded' baby was located. The female turtle panicked; not only was she scared for herself, but she was more afraid of what would happen if Raphael were to be discovered. She scrambled back through the lair's pipe and grabbed the little turtle that was still bawling in his crib. Venus' heart pumped faster when she listened to the human's footsteps pound harder and harder into the concrete floor, swiftly becoming louder with each stride towards them. There was still hope, as the person hadn't spotted them yet.

Venus scampered over to the rusty emergency exit pipe and desperately crawled through; Raphael crying ever louder from being jostled around in her fearful grip. She bolted down the dimly lit tunnel and rounded the first corner she came to; hoping that she'd be able to confuse her mystery pursuer. Not bothering to stop, she took the second left, then the first right before climbing down another level entirely. Venus continued to run and Raph continued to cry, leaving clues to their whereabouts. 

It didn't take long till Venus was hopelessly lost in the unknown, dark sewer tunnels. She slowed her pace, trying to both breath and see clearly at the same time. Raphael wriggled about restlessly in her arms as she cautiously walked around. There was little lighting on this level of the sewers. Raph gave another short, tired wail and the human's nearing footsteps were heard once again. Venus contemplated whether or not she should just face the person, but she quickly scrapped that thought out of her mind. She couldn't fight with a baby in her arms and without any weapons. 

She entered a large room with several pitch-black niches on either side. Not having any other choice she hid in one of the dark alcoves in the concrete wall. Raphael started to cry again, but Venus gently put a finger in his mouth; anything to subdue him for the next couple of minutes. It worked for the time being. 

A single policeman entered the room. Taken from his heavy panting, he didn't have time to contact the rest of the police officers that were also searching the sewers for the distressed baby. He had a strong lead, and he wasn't about to give that up. With a gun in his right hand and a flashlight in his left, he slowly treaded down the now quiet room. 

Venus held her breath, fearing that if she made even the slightest noise, she and her infant would be discovered and the rest of the police force would be notified immediately using the walkie-talkie attached to his belt. 

The officer treaded purposefully, slowly moving closer and closer to where Venus and Raphael were hiding. He stopped and scanned the area with his battery-operated light, a metre away from the dark niche in the wall. Venus' hands began to shake and a pleading silent tear rolled down her cheek. All the policeman had to do was turn to his left and they would be discovered. Normally in this situation, Venus would attack the person, yet it was the gun and her maternal fears that changed her tactics. 

Raphael, totally oblivious to the heavy tension occurring around him, scrunched up his face, as he was still not contented. Venus' body froze in shock and horror as the little turtle emitted a garble. Her heart pounded faster than ever, when her pupils narrowed from the flashlight being shone into her eyes. They were spotted…


	5. Leaving

Chapter 5: Leaving.

For a second, neither party moved. Venus couldn't see anything except for the bright alienating light that was focused intently on her face. Raphael cried even harder in his mother's arms. 

Without warning, everything went pitch black as Venus' eyes tried to adjust again when the light was removed from her face. The female turtle stood there in shock as a scuffling was heard, followed by a gun shot. The noise chilled her to the bone and she hugged Raph's child even tighter. The clamor ended with a heavy thud. 

Venus' eyes finally adjusted to the very dim lighting. Leonardo stood before her. He was carrying a large drawstring bag on his back whilst holding his single withdrawn sword in his right hand. She observed the blood slide and drip off what was once a silver blade. The police officer was lying face down. A pool of bright red blood silently slid from the gaping fresh slit across his neck.

"Are you alright?" Leonardo asked, breaking Venus' fearful gaze off the body. The female turtle nodded and shakily stepped out from the niche in the wall. 

"How did you find me?" Venus asked, voice still quivering. Leonardo simply pointed to the frustrated baby in Venus' arms. The male turtle reached out and gently took Raphael from Venus, allowing her to have a little rest. For some strange reason, Raphael settled down immediately in Leo's arms. Venus sighed with relief. "He's been crying for the past half-hour…"

"Maybe he's just tired, or maybe he actually wanted me," Leo said, staring at the sleepy baby in his arms. He looked up at Venus only to catch her still shaking off the nerves. It concerned him; he had never seen Venus this scared before. "Are you sure you're alright?" he asked again. 

Venus looked at him and bit her trembling lip. She shook her head as a single tear slid down her cheek. "When I heard that gun shot…" 

"I know…" Leo said softly. "But I'm okay, and so is Lil' Raphy here," Leonardo followed up. Venus looked back down at the body.

"He was an innocent… He was just doing his job…" Venus said softly, still uneasy about what had taken place.

"I had to do it to keep our secret. If he alerted anyone else, then we would have to leave the country again. At least when they find his body, they won't know for sure that it was us," Leonardo explained. He could tell that Venus was still unsettled and didn't push her away when she timidly hugged him for comfort, being careful not to squash or wake the baby. During her hug, one of her hands touched the bag on his back.

"What's in the bag?" Venus asked when she stepped back.

"All of our weapons, a couple of blankets, the food that we had stored and one or two books. Anything I could grab in a hurry. I also took the egg incubator, since they are hard to come by… The police are everywhere. I followed the officer that was chasing you. He didn't have time to alert anyone else. I only had a few minutes before another officer would have discovered the lair… We have to move," Leonardo explained the situation softly. Venus nodded.

"Want me to take the bag?" she offered.

"Nah, I'm fine," Leo rejected knowing how worn out Venus was. The female turtle bent down and picked up the officer's flashlight before journeying with Leo and Raph deeper into the sewers. 

"How will Mikey know where we are when he comes back from America?" Venus wondered. Leonardo was silent for a moment.

"We've just got to hope that he can find us…" Leonardo answered grimly.

*****

__

New York City.

Donatello calmly walked through the very familiar sewer tunnels knowing that he had four hours to waste before he would have to board a plane. He arrived at the airport an hour ago and discovered that there weren't any flights to England until nighttime tomorrow. However there was a direct flight to Los Angeles. After doing some research by phoning travel agencies, he found that there was a plane leaving from LA to Australia a couple of hours after he would arrive at LAX. _'Perfect timing,'_ Donatello thought to himself.

Donatello removed the newspaper article that was tucked inside his bandanna and stared longingly at the photo of his family. He reminisced back to the days when he was with them in the glass prison. Leonardo said that if they escaped, they would either go to London or Sydney depending on available flights. In hindsight, it was a bad plan, mainly because back then they didn't know that Don would become separated and transferred to another state. He didn't know for sure that they would be in Sydney, but he assumed that Mike would have preferred it there because of the beaches and warmer weather and would have persuaded Leo. At any rate, he let fate decide. There wasn't an immediate plane flight to London and that was that. 

Donatello sighed happily as his jumped down a familiar ladder. His eyes scanned over the lair, noticing that some things had been disturbed over the months that it had been vacant, obviously due to the scientists bringing back stuff to their labs for analysis. However a lot of useful objects still remained. Donatello carefully rummaged through the abandoned subway lair, placing various things in a large bag for safekeeping. He grabbed the original weapons that were still on the rack next to the ladder, noticing how unused he was to handling them due to the time he spent in captivity. 

Don then went carefully through everyone's room, starting with his own. He couldn't take his whole computer system, but he did grab various programs and electrical gadgets that could be set up later once he had made a new lair. He could only gather a few books in Leo's room, mainly because the eldest brother was the least materialistic. Mike's room was a pigsty and was given a thorough search; the most useful objects found were video games, batteries, and sketches and stories that the orange turtle might want back. Donatello, with great reluctance, even collected Venus' Shinobi scrolls and Vam Mi's heart that was still kept neatly in a Chinese medicine herb box. 

Don almost decided to not even touch Raphael's room, yet it was the thought of his child that might want to learn more about their father that changed his mind. Bag on his shoulder, Donatello slowly entered the dank room that he barely got to see. Immediately he felt eerie presence, but he shrugged the feeling off as soon as he sensed it, blaming his imagination in the process. There weren't many things to collect, but he did manage to squeeze Raph's favourite videos, spare belt, bandanna, knee and elbow pads into his rather loaded bag. He looked over the room one last time before sighing and leaving the train carriage. 

"You turtles are so predictable," Bonesteel sneered as he pointed a tranquilizer dart gun towards Donatello. The turtle froze and stared in shock at the hunter situated three metres away. Don cursed inwardly for being so distracted to not notice the human's entrance. 

The human smiled with preconceived success as he fired the weapon. The turtle ducked in reflex and the dart hit the bag harmlessly instead. Bonesteel snarled and attempted to fire again, but Donatello was quick and was already clambering up the ladder to freedom. Don cursed to himself as he climbed as he realised that he could have taken the obsessed hunter down, but it seemed that the fear of being captured had taken over once again. 

The turtle raced through the tunnel and turned into a hidden and secluded area; the garage. He wasn't surprised when he saw both the Hummer and Hog still in the same spot they were left in. They had made sure that they kept the garage hidden and separate from the lair just in case of emergencies like this where they'd have to evacuate immediately. Also, if someone found the garage, then they wouldn't necessarily find the lair, and the same vice versa. 

With Bonesteel only ten seconds behind, Donatello flung the heavy bag into the back seat of the Hummer and jumped over the driver side door. He froze when he realised that he didn't have the keys. They were still in Leo's room. Donatello swore at his own stupidity for the umpteenth time that day. He was about to start running down the street again when his eyes caught sight of hope. The keys to Raphael's Hog were quietly hanging in the ignition. For once in his life, Donatello thanked Raph for being so lazy and antisocial. 

Donatello was trying to balance the large bag on the back of the bike when Bonesteel raised his weapon again. In the blink of an eye, Don straddled the leather seat and revved the engine. The gun fired, but Don dodged the projectile once again by leaning the motorcycle dramatically to the left. 

"Stupid animal. Just stay still and get shot!" Bonesteel yelled his normal abusive sayings, although he knew he was the only one to blame for missing the target. Not dumb enough to wait around for the hunter to reload, Donatello took off down one of the many dark streets of Manhattan.

Donatello wobbled on the road and tried to remember the last time he had ridden a motorcycle. _'Have I driven a bike?'_ the turtle pondered, failing to come up with a memory. He gripped the handles tighter, expecting to fall off at any second. All of a sudden the Hog began to slow. Donatello started to panic, noticing that the vehicle was low on fuel. He knew Bonesteel wouldn't be too far off. 

Hopping off the powerless machine, Don began to push the bike down the street, avoiding startled traffic as he went. He only had to walk a block until he luckily stumbled upon a service station. Having no time to dilly-dally, Don refueled Raph's bike in front of many wide-eyed citizens while cheekily giving them a wave. He then sped off as fast as possible without paying.

The mutant roamed around with the bike in the shadows, trying his best not to get spotted for the rest of the night. When he was certain that there were no cars, Don would start up the engine and get as far as possible before retreating back into the darkness of the side alleys. After traveling many twists and turns, in two hours Don had made it back to the airport. 

He took out some bolt cutters from the bag and clipped a large hole in the barbed perimeter fence, permitting both himself and his new vehicle through. Don sneaked as best he could towards the terminal, trying his best to not let the machine slow him down. He knew exactly what plane to board from the information he had gathered earlier. The turtle waited patiently in the shadows for the opportune moment when the aircraft would be left unguarded. He didn't have to wait long, thanks to some late tourist's luggage that had to be accounted for. Don cautiously wheeled the Hog onto the plane in the baggage compartment before hiding himself amongst the piles and piles of suitcases. There he held his breath, hoping that he wouldn't be caught. He wasn't. Donatello let out a sigh of relief as the base of the plane was closed in preparation for takeoff. _'LA, here I come'._

*****

__

Washington DC.

It was only a few minutes before sunrise. Michelangelo calmly strolled through the unfamiliar sewers of the nation's capital; Washington DC. He sighed at the quietness and began to doubt his decision to return to America alone. If he had pockets, Mike would have kept his hands in them. The turtle started to whistle, mainly to fill the eerie void of noise. 

Some lost newspaper sheets billowed in the slight draft of the concrete tunnel. Bored, Mike began to kick them as he walked. He continued to do so for about a minute, but stopped when a certain piece of paper caught his eye. Mike bent down in disbelief and timidly picked up the separated newspaper sheet that was dated as the current day's date. 

His eyes filled with joy when he read the title of the special article: 'Last Turtle Escapes'. Curiosity overwhelming his body, Mike begged to read on. 

__

'The last mutant turtle still in captivity had escaped from it's cage last night. The 'purple turtle' had been transferred from New York's zoo to a secure Government controlled building a few months ago after learning that the creature possessed a rare intellect. No one knows exactly how the mutant escaped, but a security camera failure has been blamed for not catching the reptile during it's escapade. 

The turtle was later spotted downtown in Washington DC, yet specialised army personnel weren't able to apprehend the creature once it had disappeared into a local hospital. Similarly to the other wild mutated turtles, the internal tracking device was once again found separated from the animal. 

A few hours after the male turtle had escaped from the Government building, it was spotted once again in New York City by Simon Bonesteel; the person who originally found and captured these mutant animals. "He must of figured out how to travel on an airplane. He wouldn't have been in New York at that time if he hadn't," Simon said. The Government is telling airport personnel to be on high alert, and citizens are being told to report any sightings or relevant information about the four currently missing mutant turtles to the local authorities.'

Michelangelo sighed and tucked the important article into his bandanna for safekeeping. Leonardo would want to read it. The orange clad turtle felt delighted and worried simultaneously about Donatello; happy because he was free, yet concerned because he no longer had any idea on where to look. Obviously he already had plans on leaving the country, otherwise he wouldn't have been spotted in New York. Yet Mike felt helpless as nothing was confirmed. Just because Don was free, it didn't necessarily mean that he would find the rest of his family. 

Mike sighed once again, turned around and started to head for the airport, knowing that it was pointless to stay in Washington DC. He knew that he should go back to London as soon as possible, but something else came to mind that would make the trip to the United States worth it.

*****

__

New York City.

Light grey clouds rolled over the early afternoon sky above Manhattan. Michelangelo cautiously peeked inside a small apartment from the safety of the fire escape. He couldn't really see anything useful. _'Hope this is the place'_, Mike wished. The turtle pulled up the unsecured window and sneakily climbed inside. 

Mike gazed around at his surroundings. Paint chipped cupboards made up most of the kitchen, while faded chairs and a rundown wooden table filled the rest of the room turning that section of the apartment into the living and dining area. Over all, the impression that it gave was that of a person who didn't have enough money for luxuries. 

A human suddenly entered from the direction of the bathroom. She stopped immediately and gaped at the turtle in shock. "Mike?!" Sarah uttered in disbelief. "What are you doing here? I mean, how are you going? Where's everyone else?" Sarah blurted out the questions as soon as they came to her head. 

The turtle in orange simply gave her a big grin. "I thought I might drop in before I return to London," he said casually.

"London? Cool. I have an aunt who lives in London," Sarah said making small talk, still in disbelief that Mike was in her apartment.

"Really?" Mike said. Sarah simply nodded.

"So why are you in America?"

"I was actually going to rescue Don, but it seems that he beat me to it," Mike explained, showing her the newspaper article he had tucked into his bandanna. She quickly gave the piece of paper a look over.

"So I've heard. It was the third story on the morning news," Sarah informed him. Mike returned the article into his bandanna. The turtle was silent for a few seconds, wondering whether or not he should voice the question that had been nagging at his mind the most.

"You know when you rescued us… what happened after the cops caught you?" Mike said carefully, hoping that Sarah didn't regret her decision in hindsight.

The young lady sighed and flicked back a strand of her dark brown hair in slight annoyance. "I was held in prison for about three weeks before I got my first hearing. Luckily I got a rather soft judge and he let me off with a rather heavy fine, which my family managed to pay by dipping into their savings and by raising some of the money from the population that supported what I had done. But the zoo complained about this and appealed. 

I was then sentenced to three months worth of community service where I had to work for the zoo, as the judges wanted an alternative to jail as they wanted to leave the prison cells to more serious offenses. I was lucky that at that time there was this new 'community service movement' where psychologists believed that it was more beneficial to both parties, and that it helped violators restrain from recommitting the crime since they are able to see how they effected their victims. Of course, a lot of people still believe that my punishment was unjust, but, at least for now, I'm a free woman," Sarah explained.

Mike intently listened to the hardships she went through and suddenly became more grateful for all she had done for them. His eyes lay focused on the floor, starting to feel the painful guilt rise from the pit of his stomach. "I'm sorry…" Mike said softly, not making eye contact.

"Don't be. It was worth it. Don't you agree?" Sarah asked as a small reflective smile appeared on her face. Michelangelo made eye contact again and smiled back with affirmation. "So what's happened to you guys in the past couple of months?" Sarah asked.

"Venus had her baby. It's a boy. We called him Raphael," Mike said with fondness. Sarah couldn't help but smile.

"Wow. Congratulations!" Sarah said happily. "Are you guys coping alright?" she asked out of thoughtfulness.

"Well… we're having a few problems. We're coping but… we don't really know enough about how to take care of the baby. So far he's been very unpredictable, like in body development. Venus is also producing milk-"

"Milk?" Sarah cut him off with an astonished tone. Her eyebrows immediately furrowed with confusion. Mike simply nodded to her outburst and didn't complete the rest of his description. 

"It'll be really great if we could have someone who knows a bit about animal behaviours and development…" Mike suggested. Sarah suddenly realised the truth behind Mike's surprise visit. 

"You want me to go to London with you?" Sarah summarised. Mike gave her a sheepish nod. Sarah stared at him, disbelieving what the turtle wanted her to do. She would have to leave her home, cancel her commitments and find her unused passport. Not to mention that she'd have to fork out a small fortune in plane tickets and accommodation. Yet deep down, Sarah was curious about Venus' child. "I don't believe this…" She muttered. "I… I can't. I can't just pack up and leave… And even if there were a way, I wouldn't get a seat. I'd surely have to wait at least a few days for an available flight," Sarah explained.

"But if they can do it on 'The Amazing Race', I'm sure that you can do it too," Mike justified with his innocent reasoning. Sarah couldn't help but smile at his train of thought. As crazy and as radical as it was, the more Sarah thought about, the more she wanted to travel to London. 

__

'It's not as though I've got a job or a university course to tie me down in New York. I could just pack up and leave. It would give me a good chance to see if I could move there or not, as everyone is too hesitant to employ me in New York due to my record. Maybe leaving the country altogether is the answer for my future? And if I don't like London, then at least it'll be a much needed holiday…' Sarah thought about her option in a positive perspective.

"With all honesty Mike, I'd love to go and see Venus, Leo and the baby… but my only problem is the money…" Sarah explained sadly.

"Don't forget that you could always stay with us in London for free. You also have your aunt…" Mike suggested keenly with a hopeful grin. Sarah looked at him and found it extremely hard to resist his persuasive childlike charm. 

"Hmmm… Alright… I actually do have enough money stashed around somewhere, thanks to my birthday last week," Sarah gave in reluctantly. Mike grinned widely in success.

"So how old are you now?" Mike asked out of curiosity.

"Twenty-one."

"Hmm… you're only a month older than me. But that's okay. These days girls are tending to date younger males," Mike said cheekily. Sarah gave him a playful glare. 

"Do you want me to go to London or not?" Sarah blackmailed. 

"Okay, okay, I'll stop!" Mike pleaded, yet the cheeky grin was still planted firmly on his face. 

__

'That shut him up', Sarah's thoughts humoured. 

A/N: Even though it wasn't shown in The Glass Prison, Sarah had a few more conversations with the turtles while they were in their enclosure. That's why she knows about Venus' pregnancy (the turtles would have told her so that she would be more sympathetic towards them) and why she's more casual than she should be. It wasn't written in the fic mainly because I felt it would only slow the pace down. 


	6. Holding Back Grudges

Chapter 6: Holding Back Grudges. 

__

Flight 301, New York to London. 4am.

Bonesteel gloomily flicked through his newspaper out of boredom. _'Only half an hour before we land in England,'_ he thought with impatience. He looked at his watch for the umpteenth time before returning his stare towards the back of the chair in front of him. 

After discovering that the turtles were smart enough to travel by plane, Bonesteel thought it was now possible that they could be living outside of the United States. Knowing their habits like the back of his hand, he believed that the troublesome reptiles would be living unnoticed in a big city, as they had to live beside humans for shelter and food resources. At first he was going to try his luck in Canada, but when he heard about a mysterious death in the deep depths of the sewers of London, he knew immediately that the turtles were responsible; the blue one to be exact.

Adrenaline pumped through his veins at the idea of a hunt. The human fidgeted in his seat out of excitement. Suddenly all of the expensive First Class margaritas and champagne could be felt in his abdomen. Bonesteel snarled; he hated going to the toilet on airplanes. 

The hunter made his way to the tiny bathroom, only to snarl once again at the 'occupied' red lettering. He looked to the cubicle opposite. It seemed that he wasn't the only one to drink too much alcohol. Bonesteel made his way over to the Economy Class, hoping that he'd have better luck there. He looked around and sniggered when he saw how little leg room those passengers had. There weren't many people on the overnight flight, mainly because it was in the middle of the school term and only businessmen had the chance to fly. Yet a certain person caught his eye and glare.

Sarah looked from where she was sitting at the recently famous hunter. He knew her and she knew him. Her heart skipped a beat as his gaze remained on her, worried if he knew that Michelangelo was hiding below in storage. Not knowing what to say to her, Bonesteel continued his journey to the toilet cubicle. He didn't hate her. In fact, if it weren't for her, he wouldn't have anything to hunt. But he decided to keep a close eye on her just in case she did have something to do with the turtles. 

Sarah let out a sigh and began to wonder what she was getting herself into. She thought this trip would be a nice break from the accusing stares of the people of New York, and packed her rather light bag and backpack in a record time of twenty minutes. But with Bonesteel on the plane, she feared that she would only lead the turtles into danger. 

When Bonesteel returned to his seat, the plane was preparing to land. Sarah grabbed her small backpack in readiness. If she was to meet Mike at the agreed destination, then she couldn't let Bonesteel follow. She had to make a quick exit. Up in First Class, the hunter did the same thing, gathering his belongings in order to swiftly and effectively spy on the mischievous young adult in Economy to see if she still had anything to do with the overgrown reptiles. 

The plane bumped and jostled as it landed before slowly rolling towards one of the many gates. Both Sarah and Bonesteel intently stared at the illuminated seat belt symbol. All of a sudden the light went off. Both humans unbuckled and jumped out of their seat immediately, hurriedly pulling out anything they had kept in the overhead compartment. Trying to look as calm as possible, Sarah sneakily made her way as close as she could to the air-locked door. As soon as the slightly suspicious flight attendant allowed the passengers to leave the aircraft, Sarah was out the door closely followed by Bonesteel. 

She quickened her pace so that she was power walking, not wanting to run for fear that an airport officer would stop her because she looked too suspicious. Bonesteel wouldn't let her get out of his sights. She swiftly made her way over to the baggage claim area. This was going to be the deciding factor about whether or not she would lose Bonesteel. 

As she nervously waited, the hunter stood beside her, also looking for his luggage among other things. Her eyes opened wide in victory as she spotted her lightweight bag on the black conveyor belt. Sarah picked it up and smirked at Bonesteel before leaving the area. The hunter snarled but remained where he stood, not wanting to make too much of a big deal of it. He couldn't prove that she had any connections with the turtles, but if she did, then the authorities would be the first to know.

*****

__

London sewers. 6am.

Michelangelo led Sarah through a number of twisting tunnels, both of them getting more and more worried as time passed. "So if they weren't in the lair, where could they be?" Sarah asked quietly in concern. Mike couldn't answer her question. An ominous feeling swirled around his gut. Something major had happened while he was away. He wished he knew the reason why his family had to move so abruptly. 

As they neared a cross section in the tunnels, Mike slowed down to a halt. "What is it?" Sarah whispered. Mike immediately covered her mouth and held her back to the side of the dark brick wall. Ten seconds later, Bonesteel appeared at the cross section and thankfully traveled down a different tunnel. Mike silently waited for another minute before he let Sarah move away from the wall. 

"That was close," Mike whispered with a slight smile, finding the incident scary yet fun at the same time. Sarah however didn't mimic his expression. 

"He's searching for Leo and Venus," Sarah whispered worriedly. 

"I know. But we'll just have to find them before he does," Mike whispered in response. Taking her by the hand, Mike led Sarah in the opposite direction from Bonesteel.

*****

"We have to go back!" Venus argued with a loud and slightly wavering voice.

"We can't Venus. It's too dangerous! The cops are still searching the sewers. We've just got to hope that Mike can find us," Leo explained, trying his best to calm her down. They had never argued between themselves before. 

"Hope?! But what if he doesn't? Leo… I don't want to lose someone else! I don't want to lose Mike," Venus said, still raising her voice, yet an upset tone could still be heard underneath. Leonardo continued to watch in silence as Venus complained in front of him. He could tell that she was fighting the urge to slap him across the face, but he knew she'd never do it. Leo looked past her frustrated stance only to see a tired mother. Her eyes had bags underneath them, her body looked stressed and her bandanna looked limp. Caring for a baby had finally taken its toll. Raphael had exhausted her.

The baby fidgeted in his sleep, causing Venus to stop her arguing immediately, not wanting to wake him up. She stared at the floor as she couldn't find the strength to look Leo in the eyes, not after everything she had said to him. A small tear rolled down her right cheek which she quickly wiped away. "Look at me. I'm a mess. I probably look like a monster," Venus said as she wiped away even more tears. The two turtles giggled lightly when Venus realised the irony in what she had said. 

"I'm sorry," Venus apologised for yelling at him. "I'm just so tired and emotional these days…" 

"I know," Leo understood. The two turtles were silent for a moment. Venus walked over to observe her lightly sleeping child when awkwardness was starting to settle amongst the two. Leonardo silently watched as Venus gently caressed the baby's face with compassion and remorse. Leo couldn't hold it in anymore and finally asked her the question that had been bothering him for months.

"Did you love him?… Did you love Raphael?" Leonardo questioned boldly. Slightly startled by the directness of what he had asked, Venus gave him an uncertain look before returning her gaze to her son.

"… I don't know anymore." She answered so softly that it could have been classified as a whisper. "It's hard to say now in hindsight. But I did care about him greatly," Venus added. "I'll never forget him. How can I? Whenever I look at his son, I see him instead," Venus admitted.

"What are we going to tell him about his father?" Leo asked the inevitable.

"…I don't know. Whatever seems natural and honest at the time I suppose," Venus answered softly, eyes still glued to the restless baby turtle. "But I'd never tell him that he was a mistake. Raphy's a blessing… He's all we have left to remind us about his father," Venus analysed. Leonardo let out a quiet sigh and walked over to stand beside Venus to look at the turtle infant. 

"I hope he doesn't grow up to hate me," Leonardo said seriously. A small smile slowly appeared across Venus' face.

"Why would he hate you?" Venus asked even though she knew the answer.

"Because he's half of his father," Leo said smugly, allowing a smile to creep across his face as well.

"But don't forget that he's also half of his mother. So things should even out," Venus replied smartly. The awkward feeling returned and settled itself between the two adults once more. Like Leo, Venus finally built up the courage to ask the question that had been plaguing her for months. 

"Leo… That day, back in the glass prison, when you said you loved me… did you really mean it?" Venus asked timidly. Leonardo looked her directly in the eyes and only took a few moments to think about his answer.

"Every word," he whispered simply. A shy yet uncontrollable smile appeared on his face when Venus began to quietly blush. Grasping the rare moment, Leo slowly moved in closer, and so did Venus. He stared into her suddenly fascinating eyes just inches away from her face, before closing his own to move even closer. Venus' heart fluttered when she realised that she would experience what she had dreamed of for the past couple of months… a kiss from Leo. 

Naturally Raphael decided it was time to cry before the female's wish could be answered. Disrupted, the two turtles backed away before anything happened between them. Leonardo groaned inwardly while Venus sighed in annoyance.

"I'll fix him up," Leo offered kindly as Venus looked tired enough as she was. He picked Raph up and immediately he calmed down. A yellow smelly liquid rolled down Leo's arms. The male turtle glared at the toothless grinning baby. "I'm telling you… this child has it in for me," Leo said grimly. Venus couldn't help but laugh.

"No he doesn't," she said with a smirk, handing him a towel. 

"Yes he does! First he kicks me, then he won't smile around me, and the only time he does is when he's peeing on me!" Leonardo argued his case. Venus giggled and shook her head.

"It's all just coincidence," she reasoned with a cheeky grin. 

"Coincidence my ass," Leo muttered under his breath as he cleaned both Raph and himself up. Raphael baby-chuckled from on top of the blankets, flimsily waving about his chubby limbs as he lay on his tiny carapace. Leonardo couldn't find it in his heart to hold a grudge on the seemingly innocent baby, and soon the smile had reappeared on his face. 

Noticing that Raphael had been properly seen to, Venus gently took hold of Leo's hand. He gazed at her tender grip before looking unknowingly into her eyes once more. Blushing slightly, heart spinning faster, Venus somehow found the courage in herself to move in closer and initiate what had been interrupted moments before. Leonardo had no intention to reject her advances. He raised a hand to nimbly embrace her soft cheek while their lips intermingled with infatuation. Both of them had their eyes closed, savouring every single moment of this forever-yearning kiss. Venus wrapped her arms around his waist in response to her instincts, and inwardly admired how such a strong ninja could produce such delicate touches to both her cheek and lips. 

Then, with no warning at all, Leo's kiss seemed to go limp. The hand caressing her face began to shake slightly, his breath became wavered, and he no longer responded to Venus' touches. Confused and worried at the same time, Venus stepped back to ask what was wrong. But she never had to ask. Her jaw gaped in surprise and horror when she observed the single silent tranquilizer dart lodged in Leo's neck.


	7. Island Entrapment

Pretender Fanatic- Bonesteel is in fact from the Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation. Apparently the first five episodes of NT:TNM was the fourth TMNT movie called 'East Meets West' (you might be able to find a fan script somewhere on the web or TMNT archive. I know there's a few out there). Only 26 episodes were made due to low ratings and a high filming budget (28 if you include the Power Ranger cross over). So you might be able to buy or rent the first five episodes which includes Venus' past and origin, but I don't think you'll be able to see the rest. I don't think other videos were released, but then again Australia's behind America so it might be possible over there (I doubt it though). However I do have a page on my website detailing the show's characters (located in the miscellaneous section). 

Chapter 7: Island Entrapment.

As Venus continued to back away, Leonardo's breath became more ragged. The male turtle shakily reached up to his neck and sharply pulled the dart out of his skin. Leo looked at the tranquil in his hand for confirmation of what was happening, before allowing the dart to roll off his palm and onto the floor. Feeling more and more light headed with each passing second, Leo tried his best to keep his balance. Groggily lifting his head, he looked through his blurring eyes onto Venus'. He knew they were in trouble, and judging from Venus' expression, Leo predicted that Bonesteel was only a couple of steps behind him. 

"Run… Leave me… and run… Take Raph," was all Leo could manage to say before he slipped into unconsciousness. Venus stared down the barrel of the gun in front of her. In an instant, Venus grabbed Raph off the pile of blankets and started to run. Bonesteel fired as soon as he could, but the dart only bounced off Venus' protective carapace. 

The chase began. Venus clutched Raphael close to her plastron as she bolted around various corners of the dark sewers, hoping against hope that she would leave the hunter behind. A dazed look remained on Raph's face as he was jostled and bounced around in his mother's grip. Then, like the previous similar situation, the little hatchling scrunched up his expression and began to cry, giving Bonesteel a big advantage in knowing their location. 

The female turtle skidded around one last dark corner before nearly stopping in disappointment. Ahead of her was a long, straight, lighted tunnel. Venus knew that she could not dodge a dart if Bonesteel decided to shoot. Aware that this could be the end, Venus ran down the tunnel anyway having no other choice. The hunter was only a few seconds behind her, and when he rounded the last corner, a victorious sly grin appeared across his face. 

In her peripheral vision, Venus saw Bonesteel take aim with his tranquilizer gun. She continued to bolt down the tunnel praying for a miracle to happen. Suddenly, in the corner of her eye, Bonesteel's body abruptly dropped to the ground in unconsciousness. Curious, she slowed down and turned around fully. There was Mike, standing with one foot on Bonesteel's unconscious body and an accomplished smirk planted on his face. "Thought you could use some help," he called to her cheekily. 

Extraordinarily glad to see him, Venus ran over towards the smart aleck turtle with Raphael still being jostled about uncomfortably. "You're back! You found us!" Venus squealed with delight while giving him a one armed hug as the other still held onto the frustrated baby. 

"How could I not find you with this little man making a bigger noise than his father ever did!?" Michelangelo exclaimed, carefully taking the aggravated infant out of Venus' arms and giving his bald domed head a big kiss. Mike then cradled Raph in his arms and stroked one of his fingers over his tiny cheek to calm the little turtle down. 

"So is this the baby?" Sarah asked, stepping out from the shadows Mike had told her to hide amongst. Venus nearly jumped out of her skin, too excited with Mike's return to have even noticed another presence within the tunnel. Mike simply nodded to her question. 

"Sarah! It's so good to see you again! How did you get here?" Venus asked after giving her a quick welcoming hug. 

"Mike invited me. He said you guys needed help in caring for the baby. Apparently he's a bit unpredictable," Sarah explained. Venus simply nodded with a smile that seemed to be permanently painted on her face.

"Where's Leo?" Mike asked, looking up from Raphy who was currently occupied with sucking on his finger as though it was a dummy. 

"He's back at the lair. He was knocked unconscious by one of Bonesteel's tranquilizers," Venus explained. All worried about his well-being, the three adults and the baby headed back towards the new lair. On the way, Venus explained to them why they had to move. Mike nodded and agreed with Leo's decision to leave under the circumstances that they had been put in. 

When they arrived Leonardo was still unconscious. Knowing that Bonesteel would return to the place eventually, the two adult turtles decided to move while they still could. With Sarah carrying Raphael in her arms and most of the household belongings on her back, Mike and Venus tended to Leo, deciding to carry him to the next new lair. Sarah followed behind.

"Ugh, he's getting heavy," Venus panted as she walked in unison with Mike.

"What are you complaining about? You've got the legs! You don't have his drool sliding down your arms!" Mike whined, fixing his hold of Leo's upper body while at the same time continuing to walk backwards down the current tunnel. Sarah couldn't help but smile at their antics. 

Fifty minutes later, the turtles found an adequate place to recover for the time being. Mike and Venus practically dropped Leonardo, desperate for the blood flow to return to their sore and tired arms. The turtle in blue groaned groggily, prematurely awakened by the fall. "_Now_ he wakes up!" Mike complained, still trying to move around his arms properly. Leo's eyes slowly but surely fluttered open. His gaze was hazed and watery, but it eventually settled down in a couple of minutes. He stared at his brother.

"Mike, you're back… already…" Leo said from his position on the floor.

"Why? Did you want me to take longer?" Mike said slyly yet with a big smile on his face. He glanced quickly at Venus only to find that she was indeed blushing. The blue wearing turtle didn't respond and instead locked eyes with the human. 

"Hey," Leo greeted with a smile. Sarah only smiled back. 

When Leo was able to stand up again, Mike explained to him and Venus what had happened in America and showed them the newspaper article he had picked up. "So where's Don now?" Leo asked when he had finished reading. Mike could only shrug in response. 

"He left Washington DC and New York hours before I did. Maybe he's already in London?" Mike suggested. Sarah shook her head.

"But the flight that we took was the only available one for the day, meaning that if he's in London, he would have flown over on the same plane as us," Sarah explained.

"…And I'm pretty sure there wasn't another turtle in storage with me," Mike solemnly realised. 

"That means that he's either still in New York or…" Venus trailed off.

"…Australia…" Mike finished her train of thought. 

"But that's the other side of the world…" Sarah whispered, understanding the enormity of it all. Leonardo sighed.

"Either way, we have to leave London. Bonesteel now knows where we are and no doubt he will tell anyone else who is capable of hunting us down… You should have killed him when you had the chance Mike…" Leonardo said with a serious and a somewhat annoyed tone. Michelangelo stared at the concrete floor.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking… It's just…" Mike admitted dejectedly. Leonardo didn't wait for him to finish his sentence and instead picked up the bag that Sarah was holding earlier, getting ready to head back to the airport. Mike sighed, knowing that he had placed the clan in danger. Venus gave him a supportive hug to raise his spirits.

"He's just worried about Donny. Don't get yourself too upset about it," Venus whispered. Mike acknowledged her advice and started to follow Leo down the tunnel. Sarah and Venus, who was now carrying Raphael, headed after them a little later. 

An hour had passed when they finally reached their intended destination. The three turtles and a human stared uneasily at the sight before them. Numerous security personnel held flashlights as they searched every inch of darkness surrounding potential planes. The baggage loaders seemed to be edgy, extra alert in case they spotted something unusual. Police officers with beagles and German shepherds searched through the larger luggage as though they were expecting a rare animal to be sneakily confined within. Leonardo snarled when he realised what had happened. Bonesteel had tipped them off. 

The hunter didn't want them to leave the island of England, and he had won. There was no possible way to sneak onboard any aircraft with this many people on high alert. He assumed the same was true with any airport or harbour in the country. Leo sighed with defeat. "We're not leaving are we?" Sarah questioned with a whisper. Leo sadly shook his head. He stared at the little sleeping form in Venus' arms.

"Even if we could manage to sneak aboard, there's no guarantee that Raphael will remain quiet. It's too risky," Leo analysed quietly. He sighed once again. "C'mon. Lets go," he sorrowfully ordered. 

*****

__

Sydney, Australia.

Donatello started up the engine of the Hog as the plane's luggage storage airtight door was slowly opened. As soon as there was enough room, Don took off like a flash; too fast for the baggage boys to figure out what had happened, let alone notice that a giant turtle was the rider, as they only had time to duck for cover. He sped across concrete landscape that was barely lighted by the setting sun. Thick grey clouds smothered the sky and raised the sticky humidity, yet a cold wind was still present and participated by flapping across Don's purple bandanna as a refreshment. 

Heart racing from the fear of being either properly spotted or caught, Donatello hastily cut through the barb wire fence with his set of bolt cutters. Once enough of the wire had been cut, Don backed the bike up and smashed through the weakened metal obstacle. He tried his best to hide amongst the small bushes nearby until there was a gap in the traffic on the passing highway. From there he sped along the darkened road, barely able to make out the small wetlands and ponds either side; where the silhouettes of black swans swam. 

It was then that he spotted a large storm drain where he could easily slip inside. He swiftly rode off the highway and down into the concrete gully that quickly led to his destination. Don stopped and picked the padlocked door with a strand of wire he had luckily found at the bottom of his bag. After a tedious twenty seconds, the lock clicked open and Don rolled the heavy bike inside. He sighed and continued to walk down the dark and unknown tunnel. An uneasy yet excited feeling came over him. Was it the expectation that he would see his family? Or was it simply the fact that he was free? He didn't know. Don sighed once again knowing that he had plenty of time to explore this new place.

*****

__

London, England.

It was early morning and the sun was currently rising over the tall buildings and shining amongst the waves of the Thames. Yet below the awakening streets were only the dimly lighted cold brick tunnels that gave no clue as to what time it was outside. Sarah and the turtles had been walking for hours, painstakingly searching for a new safe place to camp and hopefully turn into a lair. 

At last they had found such a place; a small concrete room with a single light that had two thin tunnels to use as exits. It was situated in an out of the way place so the turtles knew that they wouldn't be discovered too easily. As Mike and Leo tiredly unpacked the essential belongings, Sarah inspected Raphael who was awake and staring around bewilderedly in Venus' arms. 

"He's gorgeous," Sarah complimented.

"Thank you," Venus accepted with a smile. They grinned as Raph began to play with his mother's aqua bandanna braid. Sarah slowly waved her hand in front of the infant's face, only to have the little turtle move his eyes in unification. He clumsily lunged out outwards, curious to learn what the moving appendage was. Sarah smiled.

"He's quite developed for the age he is compared to a human. But he is nowhere near that of a regular turtle," Sarah commented.

"I noticed that. He's quite dependent on me. Yet he's already learning how to crawl," Venus explained.

"I have to say I'm not surprised at that. His body is rather proportionate," Sarah said. 

"So how come he's developing so fast?" Venus questioned.

"I don't really know. But… it might be because turtles are more developed at birth, so that part of his DNA is boosting his physical growth, yet the fact that he has a mother that can take of him means that he doesn't have to be completely independent. I don't know about the mental and verbal side though. That might not be developing at the same time as his body, although the mutated parts in his DNA could control the rate of growth," Sarah analysed. 

"So when do you think he'll be able to talk?" Mike asked, walking over to join in the conversation. Leonardo followed straight after.

"Well… if he's growing up the same way as a human baby does, just at an accelerated speed, then maybe in about two months. Otherwise it'll be the same time as a normal human baby… Maybe the reptile DNA genes are the more dominant ones and that's why he's quite developed? …He's so extraordinary," Sarah said although she was mainly talking to herself. 

"Extraordinary is definitely the correct word. Nothing's going to be below average in this little guy's life," Mike said with a smile. Leo glumly nodded.

__

'You're right on that Mike. He's definitely not going to have safe and normal life…' Leo thought as Sarah continued to ask questions about the youngster. 


	8. Moving On With Life

Chapter 8: Moving On With Life.

4 years, 2 months since captivity. London, England.

A couple of months after the turtles had been first spotted by Bonesteel in London, the airport security became more relaxed and arrogant due to the lack of activity. However, during the weeks the reptiles were planning to leave the country, Bonesteel managed to spot them again whilst on a food raid, hence warning the airports to be on the lookout. And so began the never ending cycle of being seen. There were rarely months where either a citizen or Bonesteel himself didn't sight them. And every time they were spotted, the airport security was heightened from its relaxed state. There was no safe escape; they were continually being hunted. It didn't help when Bonesteel decided to buy a warehouse property so that he could stay in the country for longer periods of time. However Bonesteel wasn't the only one to move.

Sarah applied and was granted a working visa in London a year after she had first visited. With the help of her relatives, she managed to find a small apartment to rent in the city. Although she loved learning about animal behaviours at the university in New York, her past crime affected her choices, so she started working in the completely unrelated field of retail as a shop assistant. 

Leonardo sleepily opened his eyes after having a decent night's sleep. He didn't move from underneath the blanket, wanting to listen to the comforting silence of the sewers. Leo sighed quietly to himself and surveyed the haphazard lair's objects that surrounded him, most of them small and easy to pack in a short amount of time due to their hunted lifestyle. Quite contented and not wanting to get up as of yet, Leo turned his head to watch Venus sleeping humbly next to him. 

Over the years, Leonardo and Venus' affection for each other had only grown stronger. They decided to take the relationship slowly, mainly because Venus felt regretful that she hadn't done the same with Raphael. Although it would never be truly official, the two turtles considered themselves to be married; a relationship where they're stuck with each other everyday, and have a sex life only slightly better than a panda because of an intrusive and curious three year old… not to mention Mike as well. 

Thinking of his brother, Leonardo quickly looked around the lair only to be unsuccessful in finding him. In an instant he knew that the turtle had spent the night at Sarah's place again. It was rather ordinary these days for him to be away. Leo knew that Michelangelo had a small crush on the human female, but then again he knew that he still had a small crush on Venus and had an infatuation with April when she was still alive. He flirted a lot with Sarah, but it was nothing more, most likely because Mike didn't know how to further the relationship past that, or it might have been that he didn't want to. 

But right now, Sarah played the role that April once did; helping them get supplies and lending a hand whenever they were in trouble, yet they had be careful that she wasn't caught being connected to them. She had similarities with Donatello, which was another reason why Mike spent so much time with her; to fill the void of his long lost brother. That, and also the fact that he didn't want to disturb Leo and Venus' privacy, although Raphael did that most of the time anyway. 

Returning his gaze to the sleeping form of Venus, a small smile appeared across his face. He wriggled in closer, wanting to give her a morning's kiss, but something blocked his path. Curious he slightly slid down the blanket area situated between him and Venus. Raph was sleeping peacefully in-between. 

He was now three, nearly four years of age and his height was currently equaled to Leo's mid-thigh. Like Sarah had speculated a long time ago, his verbal development took longer than his physical progress, and he started talking with the same growth rate of a human; his first word being Mi'ey, short for Mikey. Right now he was in the middle of a lull in the development process. 

A shift of movement caught his attention. Venus was awake and was currently staring at her son as well. "He had nightmares again," she whispered to Leo, explaining why she had allowed the little turtle to sleep where he was. Leonardo nodded gently in response.

"Was it about Bonesteel again?" he asked with a whisper. 

"I think so," she quietly answered. Leo sighed at stared at the boy, knowing that it was unhealthy for him to be raised in such a fearful environment. All of a sudden, the child roused from his sleep. He gave a big yawn before rubbing his eyes with a small fist. 

"How's my little man this morning?" Leo asked with an encouraging smile. 

"Sleepy," Raph responded, still rubbing his tired eyes. 

"Did you have a bad dream last night?" Leo asked carefully with an emotive tone. Raphael only nodded as an answer while his lips formed a pout. "Would you like to tell Daddy and Mummy about it?" Leo offered with an open heart. Keeping his pouting expression, Raphael slowly shook his head from side to side. "Okay," Leo whispered, knowing that he might want to talk about it another time. 

All of a sudden, Raph's face brightened when he saw Mike walk in through the lair's low lying entrance pipe. The little turtle jumped to his feet and ran over, giving the adult a cheeky kick in the shin to grab his attention. "Ow!" Mike yelped. Even though he was small, his kicks and punches were bony, and usually ended up poking a soft part of a muscle that bigger fists and feet couldn't achieve due to a larger surface area. Michelangelo playfully gave the boisterous child a glare. Raphael grinned. He knew what was going to happen next.

With a playful grin, Mike wrestled Raphael to the ground, being careful at the same time that he wasn't hurting the child. Their fingers interlocked and Raph grunted in effort, enjoying the rough and tumble. Getting up out of the blankets that formed their bed, Leo and Venus both smiled and shook their heads at the sight, slowly heading towards some stored food for breakfast in the meantime. Raphael playfully growled and tried to gain some leverage by pushing his small feet against Mike's plastron, yet when Michelangelo cheekily smiled, Raphael knew that he had lost.

A great farting noise traveled through the lair. Munching on some bread, Leo and Venus tried their best to ignore the sound as it was repeated a number of times. Raph giggled as Mike pressed his lips again against the little turtle's plastron, blowing out from his puffy cheeks to create another colossal rippled fart noise. Raphael laughed hard from both the hilarious sound and the tickling vibrations he felt through his shell. 

When he had finished, Mike picked the child up and gently placed Raph back on his feet. "So what have you been up to?" Mike asked, stooping down to Raph's eye level. The child grinned and showed off a few basic punches and kicks. Even though his balance and coordination wasn't perfect, it was still more advanced than any other kid his age. Mike gasped for encouragement even though he wasn't surprised. "Did Daddy teach you those yesterday?" he asked rhetorically, referring to Leonardo even though they all knew who the real father was. With Venus and Leo 'married', it made sense to the family for Raph to call him Dad until he was old enough to know the truth. Raphael nodded happily in response.

"Come and have something to eat sweetie," Venus beckoned her son. Raphael obeyed and bounded over to his parent. Mike stayed where he was. "Aren't you eating?" Venus asked.

"I had breakfast at Sarah's," he replied. It was then when he exited the lair and returned a few seconds later with a children's book in his hand. As he munched on the crusts of his bread, his facial expression brightened for the second time that day.

"I 'ead 'addy?" Raph asked innocently as he chewed, pointing to the new book. 

Leo nodded gently before adding, "Only if you remember to not talk with food in your mouth". The boy closed his lips immediately. Reading was still the number one form of entertainment, so naturally Raphael was eager to be included; striving to be like an adult. 

Leo propped Raph up on his lap once both of them had had enough to eat. Leo opened the alphabet book, carefully balancing it on both of their thighs so the little turtle could see. "A is for a… app-" Raph started.

"App…" Leo encouraged, mouthing the last syllable of the word. Raph's eyes furrowed as he focused on the letters. Not only was it helping his literacy, but also his concentration span.

"App… Apple?" Raph said. Leo nodded and turned the page. "B is for b- ball. C is for ca… cat," Raphael continued, gradually increasing his reading speed.

"He's so smart," Venus admired like any other parent would. Mike smiled.

"You know, they say that intelligence skips a generation," he said cheekily.

"And what are you implying?" Venus asked rhetorically with a murderous smirk firmly planted on her face. She knew very well that Mike had just suggested that both of boy's parents were stupid. Mike recoiled from her gaze.

"Hehe, nothing," he giggled innocently, raising his hands as if he was expecting Venus to hit him. A second passed and nothing happened. Mike relaxed his stance and Venus hit him anyway for the fun of it. The male childishly pouted and rubbed his sore upper arm. "So have you asked Leo yet?" Mike asked quietly after watching Raphael get through another couple of pages.

"No. I haven't been able to get around to it," Venus admitted sadly, lowering her voice so Leo wouldn't hear.

"I can mind Raph for a while. Take him out of the lair for thirty minutes," Mike offered.

"Yeah, that'll be great. Even though Leo won't agree anyway," Venus feared.

"Aw, you never know," Mike said, trying his best to sound positive. 

"R is for rab… rab… rabbit, and, and Raphael," Raph added, looking up at Leo to gain his encouragement. 

Leonardo smiled. "That's right," he approved. He waited for Raphael to continue onto the next letter, but he never did. Leo looked at the boy's solemn expression, as though he had just been hit with a dose of depression. "What's wrong?" Leo asked, becoming concerned. Noticing that the reading had stopped, Venus and Mike moved in closer.

"Will, will Bonesteel get us?" Raphael asked, slightly shivering from the thought. Leo's eyes softened. He closed the book and brought the little turtle into a hug.

"Of course he won't. Is that what you dreamt last night?" Leo inquired. Raph nodded slowly. 

"You, Mummy and, and Mikey weren't here, 'cause, 'cause Bonesteel took you and, and Mummy, 'cause you weren't here," the child tried his best to explain his dream, saying the name of the hunter with a mixture of fear and anger. Leonardo sighed. He knew what brought about these nightmares. Ever since Raph was born, they had been running in fear, hiding for their lives. Bonesteel was a name that was mentioned frequently, around Raphael, and the human was to blame for most of the mad panics that occurred every couple of weeks. None of them could blame Raph for being scared of Bonesteel, especially when the adults that raised him were frightened by the person themselves. 

Leonardo gave the child a sad smile. "We will never leave you behind. And Bonesteel will never hurt us because we have each other, and we are ninja. One day you'll be a ninja as well," Leo tried his best to comfort him. He knew that some things he had said weren't totally true, but he needed to calm the child's fears as best he could. 

"But, but…" Raphael wanted to say something, be he didn't know how. The three adults listened and waited intently. "But nimjas don't get scared, 'cause they're nimjas and they're strong. So, so I can't be a nimja 'cause nimjas don't get scared," Raph said, still pronouncing the 'm' sound instead of 'n' no matter how many times Leo and Venus had tried to correct it. The three adult turtles could only smile at his roundabout sentence structure. 

"Raphael… it's okay to be scared sometimes. I get scared. Your Mum gets scared and so does Uncle Mikey," Leo started to explain.

"Really?" Raph asked. Leo nodded. 

"Everyone's afraid of something. Just because we're ninja doesn't mean that we're not scared of anything. Sometimes we just pretend that we're not scared, but inside we really are. See, you're only young, but when you grow up, you'll understand that some things aren't as scary as they seem, and that sometimes you can control your fear," Leo explained further. Mike nodded as support. Venus and Leo exchanged a glance, and after a moment the female turtle went to retrieve an object. Raphael looked at his mother curiously when she returned with something behind her back, out of sight. A gentle smile was swept across her face.

Leo returned his gaze towards the small boy on his lap. "We were going to give this to you on your birthday, but we thought that we might as well give it to you now," Leo started. From behind her back, Venus showed the red piece of material she had been hiding. She walked forward, and with a little help from Leo, transformed the red cloth into a bandanna. A large grin had emerged on Raph's face, yet it dropped when he felt how short his bandanna tails were.

"It's short," he remarked, still feeling the knot on the back of his head.

"Well, you'll get a longer one when you get stronger as a ninja. It's kind of like a family tradition," Leo explained with a smile.

"What's trad… tradishon?" Raphael asked.

"Um… Uh… how do I explain tradition to a three year old?" Leo wondered out loud. Mike almost laughed at his speechless expression.

"Raph, tradition is sort of like a rule, but it's a special type of rule because it only exists in our family. See in other clans, they use different coloured belts to show how good you are at fighting. So that's their tradition. Just like how our tradition is with the length of the bandannas," Mike explained with a smile to help Leo out. Raphael gave him a look to show that he sort of understood. His large smile soon returned.

"So I can be a nimja now?" the child asked, touching his bandanna with pride and astonishment.

"You bet!" Mike exclaimed. The orange clad turtle looked over at Venus and remembered something. "Hey Raph. Wanna have a walk around the sewers?" Mike offered. The boy thought about it. "I'll race ya," Mike extended his invitation, changing his stance so he looked like he would take off at any moment. A competitive look flashed across Raph's eyes. The little turtle bounced off Leo's lap and chased after the orange wearing turtle in an instant. Heavy footsteps were heard getting further and further away, until it was nearly completely silent back in the lair. 

"Poor kid. He'll be worn out by noon," Leo said with a smirk, surprised with how fast the two had vacated the area. He knew Raphael would be alright out in the sewers, as long as Mike kept a watchful eye on him and kept quiet, which he was sure he would. 

It was then when Leonardo noticed Venus' expression, and immediately he knew that she had something important on her mind. He didn't know what to say, so he simply waited till Venus had decided the words she was about to vocalise. Leo could tell that she was nervous. "Leo…" she started before taking in another breath. "…I want to have another child." 

A rather lengthy silence followed. It was eventually broken with a sigh from Leo. "Venus… You know we can't. The baby… It'll just give away our position," Leo said calmly. "We'll be hunted…" he added.

"Like we aren't now?" Venus rebutted. Silence once again filled the lair until Leonardo figured out what to say next. 

"Now that Raphael has grown up a fair bit, I was hoping that we could escape from England; search for Donatello," Leo explained softly.

"Leo… let's face it. We have tried for months, years even. Child or not, we'll still be chased and we'll still be stuck here," Venus laid out the facts. "I want to move on with my life," Venus said sadly. "I too miss Donatello… but he knows from the media that we're in Britain. Who's to say that he isn't here now looking for us?" Venus reasoned.

Leonardo shook his head. "If he's followed the media like you've said, then he'll also know the tight security around the airports… I hope you're wrong Venus, I really do. If he comes here, then he'll never make it off the plane without being caught. I just hope he's smart enough to know that," Leo wished. The silence returned.

"…Leo, Raphael needs someone his own age. I don't want him to grow up like I did as an only child. Mike can't be his playmate forever. I understand that you'd like to wait longer, until we're no longer under threat… but that could take years, and then it'll be too late for Raph to grow up with another child," Venus pleaded her case. Leo emitted another sigh.

"You've seen how Raph is being raised though. There's rarely a night where he won't have a nightmare… I don't want to put another child through this," Leo said with remorse.

"But they will have each other. Raph will help. He'll know what the other is going through… If we decide to have one now, then Raphael will be four when the egg hatches… Leo, I just… I just want to start again. Move on… Don't you want to have your own child? You've done wonders on raising Raph, but I can't help but feel sorry because… one day you might lose him to the truth… You deserve to be a true father…" Venus explained with compassion. She sat down beside him and took his hand in hers for comfort and persuasion. 

Leonardo thought about everything Venus had said. He knew what she meant. His heart ached deep inside knowing that Raphael wasn't his own son, and that one day all of his love and compassion could go to waste through the hatred of being lied to about his origins. Leonardo looked at Venus and admired her beauty through his loving and trusting eyes. He sighed once again. So much responsibility lay behind this decision. 

Finally he spoke. "The pregnancy, birth, the long nights? You're willing to go through that again?" He asked.

Venus had a gentle smile on her lips. "I am for you," she answered truthfully. Leo smiled, heart twirling with the reassurance of how much she did actually love him. He gently squeezed her hand, slowly beginning to see Venus' point of view.

"So… how long is Mike out for?" Leo asked with a sly, raised eye ridge. 

"For another twenty minutes at least," Venus informed him with a secretive smile. Leonardo produced the facial expression that he had reserved for only her. She giggled before giving him a sweet kiss on the lips, knowing exactly what he was thinking of doing in the next couple of minutes.


	9. The Concrete Prison

Mica – At first, I actually wanted to write the word 'pacifier' but because I had never written it before in my life, I couldn't spell it correctly and spell check wasn't giving me any hints. So I settled for the Aussie word equivalent, 'dummy'. Lol! I try my best to use American terminology knowing that most of my readers are American, but sometimes there are times where I just can't. That was one of those times! Hehe, looking at the word now, I feel so stupid for not thinking of spelling it that way!!

Pretender Fanatic – The first five episodes of NT:TNM _is_ the fourth movie, just without the credits and opening sequences after each episode. So yeah, Venus is a person dressed up in a costume. I don't think that there were any cartoon versions of her. It really depends on who you talk to. Some fans don't consider the NT:TNM video, 'East Meets West' as the fourth movie and believe there are only 3 movies, while others include it and say there are 4. But apparently there are rumours of a new movie being made, yet I don't know much about it, but you could check it up on the official website (www.ninjaturtles.com). Oh yeah, I made the bandanna thing up myself! Hehe.

A/N: You will find this story jumps ahead in time quite a lot, mainly because I want Raphael to grow up!

Chapter 9: The Concrete Prison.

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5 ½ months later. London, England.

A large egg idly sat in the warm glow of a battery powered incubation box. It wiggled slightly, but the occupants of the underground lair were too focused on a game of Uno to notice. The three adult turtles sat on the cold, concrete floor in a circle, each holding their precious set of cards closely. Raphael, however, was curiously crawling around, helping his Uncle Mikey to cheat. 

It was Venus' turn. A blue three was situated upon the gigantic pile of coloured cards in the centre. She sighed and picked up a card from the deck, adding it to her hand. Mike frowned. He had only one card left, yet he couldn't put the card down as it was the wrong colour, hence he couldn't win the game this round. Desperate, Mike laid his hand on the deck, closed his eyes and concentrated. "I must believe in the heart of the cards!" he urged.

Leo rolled his eyes. "You know, you don't have to act so melodramatic. I mean, it's just a game of cards," Leo said seriously. Mike pouted.

"Party pooper," he accused childishly before picking up the card. He giggled in delight and placed down a blue draw two before saying "Uno" once again. "See! This is what happens when you deny the power of the cards!" Mike joked with glee, watching as Leonardo grumpily picked up two cards from the deck, ending his turn. Mike smiled even wider when Raphael whispered what new cards had been added to Leo's hand. Both Leonardo and Venus rolled their eyes in unison. It was so obvious that he was cheating.

A quiet and innocent baby garble drifted through the stillness of the room. The three adults naturally looked over to Raphael, but he only gave them a confused look in return. The soft noise was heard again, along with the sound of something cracking open. Venus and Leo's hearts skipped a beat as they curiously headed over to inspect the incubator.

A little green turtle head poked out of the cracked egg and greeted the new parents with a toothless baby grin. A tidal wave of emotions swept through Leo's mind upon the realisation that this was his child, and that he had just become a father. The hatchling wriggled and squirmed, trying to break the tight confines of the eggshell. Raphael stood on his tiptoes, attempting to gain a glance of the spectacle that was located on top of a ledge. Mike noticed this and bent down so that Raph could climb onto his shoulders. 

Venus looked at Leo and noticed the tears in his eyes. She had never seen him cry before. Her heart swelled with love and excitement to know how much this baby meant to him. Leonardo caught her gaze and took her hand in his, squeezing it softly in gratefulness. It didn't take long for the tears of joy to form in Venus' eyes as well. 

By this time the top half of the tiny hatchling had broken free and was intensely attempting to crawl the rest of the way out. The whole family held their breath as they excruciatingly waited for the whole child to emerge. Then, with one final wiggle of the legs, the hatchling was completely free from the egg. After looking at the healthy baby for a few seconds, Venus happily hugged Leo, allowing her joyful tears to roll down her cheeks and onto his comforting shoulder.

"It's a girl," she whispered thankfully in his ear. Leonardo smiled and gave her a kiss of the cheek, knowing how much she wanted a daughter. Michelangelo and Raphael stared at them, not hearing a word she had said since she was in such a state of excitable disbelief. Venus noticed their puzzled expressions and smiled even wider. "It's a girl!" she repeated, yet this time it was more of a squeal of joy. Mike grinned while Raph gave a look of disappointment. It seemed he wanted a little brother instead.

The whole family stared at the new arrival while the baby stared curiously back. The two new parents smiled at each other before Venus slowly leaned in to cradle her daughter for the first time. She gently caressed her baby's face with a finger while allowing Leo to warmly look over her shoulder. Venus smiled at him once again before carefully transferring the newborn into his awaiting arms. Immediately Leonardo felt a strong loving connection with the tiny turtle in his embrace. Everything was silent; the only noise being the hatchling's perplexing garbles every now and then. No one spoke as Leo appreciated and treasured what he held in his hands. Like Venus, he was still in disbelief that he was now a father to a daughter. 

Raphael, who had now climbed down Mikey's back, stood beneath Leo with a pouting expression firm on his face. Leonardo chuckled and bent down, gently handing the little baby over to her half-brother. Raphael held her with awkwardness as he stared into her confused eyes that looked uncoordinatedly around at the nearby surroundings. Yet suddenly the little girl stared directly at him and gave a large wonderful toothless smile. Her tiny hands reached out and tried to feel Raph's face. The boy couldn't help but grin in return, slowly learning to love the little creature that he would soon call a sister. 

It was Mike's turn next. The orange wearing turtle watched silently as the little baby in his arms blew a spit bubble. "How come they always do that around me!?" Mike whined lightheartedly when he remembered his first encounter with Raphael. Leo and Venus could only smile and laugh. 

An hour later, after the female hatchling had received her first feed, Sarah arrived with Mike whom was leading the way into the lair. The human gasped and adored the newborn, and was kindly allowed a hold when Venus agreed to her request. After a brief period of inquisitive chatter and friendly catch-up, the family and the single friend sat down in a circle for a communal discussion. 

"So what's, what's her name?" Raphael was the one to ask the inevitable. 

"I thought you said that if you were going to have a girl, then you'd name it after Sarah?" Mike questioned Venus.

"Really? You were going to name a child after me?" Sarah asked curiously. Mike nodded with a smile. "Wow… I'm flattered," Sarah said, feeling appreciated.

Venus smiled at her comment. "But Mike, that was back then. Things have changed. Besides, there can only be one Sarah," Venus said with a smile. Sarah nodded, knowing how annoying it would be hearing her name all the time. 

"Then… what about April?" Mike suggested. Venus and Leonardo shook their heads. "May?" Mike thought out loud, only to receive the same result. "How about June? June's nice," Mike said. The two parents frowned.

"Venus and I… we've agreed to… start again," Leo said slowly, wrapping his arm around Venus while looking at the baby still cradled in her arms.

"No bad memories," Venus added.

"So it's back to the old Renaissance theme huh?" Mike said with a sigh.

"But there are no female artists of that era. Not any renowned ones anyway," Sarah argued. 

"And I'm not calling her Madonna… or Mona Lisa," Venus said with determination, saying the latter directly to Leo. He chuckled knowing that they had spoken about the issue before, yet they both knew that he was only joking back then. "And no Venus of Urbino or whatever either," she warned Mike, predicting his next theme, considering that he was the one to nickname her Venus De Milo in the first place all those years ago when she had first met the ninja turtles.

"Yeesh! Okay! … Well what about the angel theme you sort of started with Raph," Mike said while pointing to the boy. 

"… But there are no feminine names out of the main angels," Leo said sadly.

"Do angels even have a gender?" Sarah wondered out loud.

"Um… Well… Uh… Venus is a planet. How about something weird, unusual and cool like Mercury, Saturn… Uranus," Mike said with a large smile and a giggle. Everyone in the room rolled their eyes except for Raphael who was too young to understand what was going on.

"Okay, I'm going to ignore him now," Venus said cheekily. Mike pouted in response. 

"Can, can we call her Raphielle?" Raphael suggested meekly. Venus only gave him a gentle smile, knowing that he meant well. 

"Name her after a Greek goddess then. Like her mother," Sarah suggested warmly. An idea suddenly came to Leonardo. He stood up and went through the small pile of books that Raphael had been given as gifts for his fourth birthday. One of them was a children's book about Greek legends. Leo often read him a story from it's pages as it contained interesting fables such as 'King Midas and the Golden Touch', and also because he didn't feel comfortable telling him the more romantic, 'girlish' fairy tales such as Cinderella. 

Leonardo sat back down and flipped to the back of the book, which contained an explanation of the mythological Greek gods and goddesses. All of a sudden, Leo was reminded of Master Splinter, thinking that all those years ago, he must have done this with them using an art book instead. Leonardo smiled before beginning to read out both the Roman and Greek versions of the names. "Okay, there's Juno, Hera, Ceres, Demeter…" Leo looked up only to see everyone in disagreement. "Minerva, Athena, Diana, Artemis-" he was going to continue but Venus stopped him.

"What about Diana?" Venus suggested.

Leo continued to read out the description. "Jupiter's daughter, Apollo's twin sister. She's the goddess of wild things, the huntress goddess and the moon goddess."

"I think it suits her," Sarah admitted.

"Yeah, now she can truly be Daddy's little princess," Mike humoured, thinking of the other Diana.

Venus smiled at Leo. "I like it," she said.

"Then, it's settled. We'll call her Diana," Leonardo agreed. He grinned and smiled at his little girl. She was lying completely still in Venus' arms; her eyes were becoming droopy, her eyelids were nearly closing as though she was about to drift off into a peaceful slumber at any second. Leo and Venus both held the same smile. 

Raphael began to yawn in tiredness as well. "I better put the kids to bed," Venus told Leo softly. She kissed him on the cheek before telling Raphael that it was past his bedtime. Leonardo stood up and stretched his legs, finding them cramped up after their long discussion. Mike walked up to stand beside him.

"So what's it feel like to finally have a baby that you dangle over balconies and take into crocodile enclosures?" Mike asked with a wide smirk across his face. Leonardo chuckled in response.

"Nah, that's something Bonesteel would do. Except instead of crocodiles, he'd dangle it in front of us," Leo replied with a lighthearted smile. Mike grinned, picturing it in his head. "But seriously…" Leo continued. "…It feels great. It feels great to be a father," Leo admitted with a reflective smile.

"Were you hoping for a boy though?" Mike asked out of curiosity. 

"Sort of… but then again Venus really wanted a girl, and I wouldn't want there to be any competition between Raphael and him," Leo said with a sad smile, yet Mike almost chuckled at the idea of Leo's son against Raph's son. "But we've already raised a boy, so naturally I don't mind having a girl. It doesn't really matter to me in the long run. I'm still a happy father either way," Leo admitted humbly. 

*****

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Sydney, Australia.

Donatello stared regretfully at the rising sun through the metal bars of the storm drain entrance. He had been standing at that spot with the Hog beside him for the past three hours, and yet again he had waited too long and, as a consequence, another bright day had begun. 

Donatello often observed the sunrise unintentionally. Day after day he would journey late at night to the entrance of the underground that he had entered the first time he had arrived in Australia, hoping to sneak on board a plane. He knew that his family was on the opposite side of the world, yet he had also heard from the media about the tight airport security. Don often read in the world news section of the newspaper about the new developments and the more advanced tactics being incorporated to try and catch his family. A lot of renowned scientists were staying in London for the time being.

Knowing Leonardo, Don predicted that they would try to leave the country as soon as possible. But judging from the frequent sightings and newspaper articles, the single turtle assumed that they hadn't as of yet. Donatello often questioned why they hadn't left. Maybe they were looking for him? Maybe they were waiting for him? Could they have forgotten about their long lost brother altogether? It took months until Donatello realised that maybe they couldn't leave, even if they wanted to.

Donatello continued to stare through the wire mesh as the sun rose higher and higher into the morning sky. A cool breeze drifted into the tunnel disturbing the stillness of the loose, dry leaf litter that cluttered the floor. The turtle sighed. His heart ached with yearning to see his family. Like every night, he felt so close to finding the courage to board a plane, to make a daring and risky escape, yet as always, he never did. The deep and powerful fear of being caught still controlled his actions.

Donatello figured that if Leo couldn't find a way out of England, then he wouldn't stand a chance in trying to get back in. Don knew that if was caught again, then it would all be over. The American Government would take him straight back to The Pentagon, yet this time they would go to extremes to make sure that he wouldn't escape. He shuddered when he remembered the lonely nights locked up in that small and cold cage, the tireless hours that he would work endlessly on cracking codes, and of course the amount of hunger he experienced when he refused to cooperate. No, he definitely didn't want to return to that. Donatello was trapped by his own sense of fear. He missed his family greatly, but he had so much more to lose. At least he was safe in Australia, and it was that comforting feeling which tied him to the ground.

Donatello sighed and tediously turned the Hog around to face the other direction. He silently hopped on and revved the engine. The turtle knew that no one would hear him, especially since the early morning peak hour traffic crawled up above on the freeway. Once ready, Don took off down the tunnel, making expert turns here and there, that could only be accomplished after years of experience. The tires crunched under the dry leaves that had been left to rot due to the low rainfall caused by the recently declared drought. But Donatello didn't mind, as he normally wouldn't be able to cycle through the tunnels because of the pooling of water.

Half an hour later, Donatello arrived back at his humble lair. A thin mattress and some blankets and sheets made up his bed. A couple of posters had been stuck onto the concrete wall, while various electronic gadgets cluttered some of the small room. Sometimes the place reminded him of a jail cell. Donatello carefully parked the motorcycle and checked the solar powered security alarm system for intruders; one of the only mechanical things he had successfully installed. After being reassured that there was no threat, Donatello sat down at his acquired desk to eat an apple and a banana for breakfast.

Suddenly the perimeter alarm went off. Donatello nearly jumped out of his seat in shock. An intruder was nearby. His heart pumped double time as he swiftly picked up his trustworthy metallic bo staff. Slowly but carefully he crept out of the lair, eyes and ears on full alert. His imagination ran wild with the many scenarios that pulsated through his head. Don's hands gripped his bo tighter when he heard something or someone crunch through some nearby leaf litter. Very, very carefully, Donatello rounded the last corner. At first he saw nothing, but when he looked down he jumped in surprise.

There, at his feet stood an American alligator snapping turtle. Donatello instinctively jumped back a fair way, not wanting the rather ugly creature to bite off his toes. When the turtle perceived no threat, Donny crouched down to observe the highly unusual sight. After staring at it with a puzzled expression for a few moments, Don remembered something from the dark recesses of his mind. He had heard about this before quite a long time back.

Don remembered reading about some alligator snapping turtle being found in a storm drain in Sydney on the world news. Apparently it was believed to be one of the eight baby turtles that were stolen from a reptile park back in 1979. Naturally, the creature was captured and taken to a zoo to start a breeding program, yet it was theorised that there were others still roaming the tunnels under Sydney. Of course, back then, Donatello and his family had joked about the fact that there were other sewer dwelling turtles out there. He had seen the albino alligators and giant rats that were considered to be urban legends in the sewers of New York before, but never in a million years had he pictured himself finding one of the seven remaining alligator snapping turtles in Sydney.

Donatello gave the ugly reptile a quiet smile. They were so different, yet they somehow mysteriously had a lot in common. After another couple of minutes, the snapping turtle started to move off, retreating towards wherever it had come from. Don emitted a sigh and decided to return to his lair. At least he wasn't the only turtle trapped in the concrete prison beneath the city.

A/N: Alright! Alright! I couldn't resist! The alligator snapping turtle story is actually true. I managed to save the original article so that's up on my website. Btw, they called the turtle… wait for it… Leonardo (tough luck for the Raph fans!) Hehe. They also gave him a sewer-like enclosure! The address www.reptilepark.com.au/animals.asp?catID=9&ID=66 is the zoo's webpage devoted to him. 

(Note: I've noticed this address changes quite often due to website renewals. If it doesn't work, then you'll have to go to the zoo's main page and work your way from there).


	10. Bonesteel's Calling Card

Disclaimer: Haven't done one of these in a while. I don't own any characters except for Sarah, Joseph, Leeroy, Diana and, I suppose, a little bit of Raphael. Bonesteel and Venus belong to Saban while the TMNT belong to two lucky guys.

Chapter 10: Bonesteel's Calling Card.

__

2 months later. London, England.

Diana's wails traveled through the entire lair, once again causing her mother to come running. A long minute passed and Venus still hadn't calmed her down. "Leo! I need your help here!" she called him. Immediately Leonardo abandoned teaching Raphael's ninjitsu lesson to come and lend assistance elsewhere. Over the past couple of weeks, the turtle clan had to move several times due to numerous sightings, so it was absolutely important that they remained as quiet as possible. Easier said than done when there was a baby amongst the family. 

The little boy pouted with annoyance as he watched the commotion, slowly becoming envious that Diana had been getting most of the attention lately. Raphael stubbornly crossed his arms and plunked himself on the ground, trying his best to patiently wait for his teacher to return. Michelangelo noticed this and gave a chuckle when he saw the boy's expression. Observing that Leo wasn't going to return anytime soon, he decided to approach the four-year-old. 

"Hey Raphy. How are you doing?" Mike asked with a smile. The child didn't respond and only jealously peered over towards Venus and Leonardo. "Raph, I'm sorry that you're being ignored these days. But you have to understand that babies need a lot of care and time," Mike explained. The angry expression on the boy's face disappeared and instead he focused his eyes on the floor. Mike sighed. He was starting to get frustrated by the baby as well. "Would you like to get out for a while? Play a game of cricket?" he offered. Raphael immediately looked him in the eyes and smiled in agreement. 

Grinning, Mike picked up the plastic cricket bat, three planks of wood and the tennis ball that lay in a corner of the room. Long gone were the days where he would play American football, basketball and baseball. After seeing so many games on television at Sarah's place, cricket had quickly become Mike's new favourite sport. He had managed to snatch the bat and ball during a food raid one night while the pieces of wood were just gathered in the storm drains.

The two turtles ventured out of the lair, desperately wanting to escape the constant cries of the baby. They walked down only a few tunnels; far away enough that the irritating wails were only faintly heard, and sufficiently close so that Leo could call them back whenever he wanted to continue Raph's lesson. Mike walked to the wall and lined up the three small planks of wood to transform them into wickets. Raphael backed up, tennis ball in hand, opting to bowl first. Mike didn't blame him, especially when the plastic bat was nearly as tall as Raph himself. Besides, it was helping his aim; a much-needed skill if he was to learn either of his parent's weapons. 

Raphael ran up, performed a little gallop before clumsily throwing the ball. Mike expertly hit it, making sure that the round object wouldn't fly too far off, giving Raph a fairer chance of getting him out. While the boy chased the ball, Mike ran to a certain spot before hastily returning to the wickets. He then repeated the action. Mike was about to make another lap but thought better of it when Raphael picked up the tennis ball. "I got two runs that time!" Mike boasted. Naturally it wasn't a proper game of cricket, just a contest to see how many runs someone could score before they got out by having the wickets hit. Raphael threw the ball again, only to get the same result. "Four runs!" Mike grinned.

"Hey, Uncle Mikey?" Raphael started before he threw the ball again. "How… how far can you hit?" Raph wondered. 

"Well throw the ball and I'll show ya," Mike enticed. The child did as he was told. A loud whack was heard and the green tennis ball speedily rolled past Raphael and down into the depths of the tunnel. Raph immediately took chase while Mike cheekily performed a few more runs. 

Raphael's little feet pounded along the concrete, hopelessly following the accelerated rolling ball. As he came to the end of the tunnel, he exhaustedly watched as the green sphere rebounded before rolling downhill into the next cement corridor. The child groaned and continued to chase the ball. Thankfully, at the bottom of the tunnel was a cross section of paths with a flat floor, where the ball quickly ran out of energy and slowed to a standstill. Puffing, Raphael walked the rest of the way down, too tired to observe his surroundings. Breathing hard, the little turtle towered above the ball and was in process of picking it up when suddenly Bonesteel grabbed him from behind.

Raphael tried to kick, yet he was too small to get out of his hold. The hunter greedily smiled and swiftly covered the turtle's mouth with a cloth. Raph's body filled with fear when he realised that Mike was too far away to hear his muffled cries. Tears of horror streamed down his face as he started to feel more and more lightheaded; the cloth was soaked with chloroform. Bonesteel finally softened his hold when the turtle's body went limp with unconsciousness. 

Michelangelo stood by the wickets after completing too many runs for comfort. He stared worriedly down the tunnel, hoping to see Raph's competitive face. His ears strained to hear anything in the disquieting silence. "Raph?" Mike called out suddenly. There was no reply. "Raph this isn't funny…" Mike said, wishing that it were just a prank. Noticing that something wasn't right, the adult gripped the bat tighter, planning on using it as a weapon as his tonfas were back at the lair. He steadily moved in the direction that Raph had gone; going to the end of the tunnel before heading down the next. 

Mike warily entered the cross section, checking the various dark paths only to find absolutely nothing. Cautiously steeping backwards, the turtle nearly tripped over the single tennis ball that was still harmlessly lying on the ground. Looking down, Mike worriedly picked it up, but then he spotted something else; something that answered all his fears. Michelangelo tenderly studied the business card that had been purposely planted underneath the lonely ball. His heart skipped a beat when he read the words _'Simon Bonesteel'_. 

Mike quickly looked around and still couldn't see anyone else in the sewers. He read on. '_Animal skinning, hunting hardware and trades. Charleston Rd. Wharf 5, Building 2, London. Business hours 9 – 5pm. Not open Sunday. Ph: 212-555- 0674'._ A panicked sweat rolled down his forehead as reality began to sink in. "RAPH!" he cried out. "RAPH!" he yelled again, yet there was still no response, only silence. Anger clouded his mind, causing him to nearly rip the card up into tiny pieces, but he didn't. Tears formed in his eyes quickly transforming his mood from furious to remorseful and oppressive. _'What are Leo and Venus going to say?'_ Mike wondered woefully. 

He slowly trudged back to the lair, doubly making sure that he wasn't being followed. Mike's gut churned with worry as he saw Leo and Venus watching over the sleeping form of Diana. The two gave him a welcoming smile but their expression soon changed when they observed Mike's unusually glum face. "Raph's gone…" Mike said, allowing a few of his built up tears to drip down his face.

"What!?" Both Leo and Venus uttered in surprise at the same time. Mike walked forward and showed them the business card. His gut churned faster, his heart beat more rapidly and his legs felt like jelly.

"I found this where I think he took him," Mike said sorrowfully. It seemed that Leo and Venus had read the card in less than two seconds, as they gave him another worried look in no time.

"How?… How did you let this happen?" Leo said, sounding annoyed more than anything else. Venus simply said nothing but her depressed and shocked expression told him everything.

"We… we were just playing cricket. I hit the ball and he went after it… I never heard anything… Leo, I'm…" Mike couldn't find the words and he started to choke up. Leonardo was about to yell at him and remind him of his stupidity, but a simple touch on the hand from Venus held him back. Leo sighed, knowing that they should be concentrating on how to get Raphael back, not arguing with each other.

"What are we going to do?" Venus' voice trembled with worry for her only son.

"Well… we'll just have to go to this address," Leo said grimly, referring to the business card.

"But… It looks like a trap!" Mike exclaimed.

"Of course it's a trap! But what else do we do?… We'll have to go there sometime…" Leo said. They were silent for a few moments.

"But what about Diana? We can't take her with us…" Venus fretted.

"Then I'll go. By myself," Leo proposed. Mike and Venus gave him a shocked look.

"What about me?!" Mike asked.

"You're staying here with Venus and Diana… If something happened to us Mike, then Venus…" Leo trailed off, thinking about the last time that Venus was left alone with a baby.

"But what if you get caught?" Mike questioned.

"I won't" Leo said with determination.

"No, seriously. What if you get caught?" Mike repeated, not taking his brother's stubbornness for an answer.

Leonardo sighed, not wanting to think of that possibility. "Then you, Venus and Diana will have to come. It'll be pointless if you came after me by yourself," Leo said.

"You know… we could always just phone the number…" Mike suggested hopefully. Leo gave him a small smile and shook his head. "You better get going then," Mike accepted the inevitable. Leonardo gave him a grim nod of the head.

The next five minutes were spent looking at the tattered paper map of the city that they had collected, to learn of the exact location of the wharf. When the road, address and the surrounding area was memorised, Leo equipped himself in preparation for the perilous journey. Almost ready to slip out the door, Leo looked back at his family and studied Venus' worried expression. Sadly she approached and gave him a tender kiss on the lips. "Be careful, okay," she ordered softly. Leo nodded and then turned to Mike.

"If I'm not back in two hours then…"

"I understand," Mike said.

*****

__

Wharf 5, Building 2, London.

Raphael woke up with a start, snapping violently out of his dreamless sleep. He tried to open his eyes, but all the colours were muted and mixed, making his vision blurry. His head pounded in pain, but it started to ease the more he regained consciousness. Raph moved onto his hands and knees, feeling the coldness beneath his limbs. A noise was heard. Raph's little heart beat faster in panic, still not having perfect vision. He quickly tried to crawl away but his head bumped into something in his hastiness. Timidly reaching out with a hand, he felt the metal bar that he knocked into. Then, moving slightly to the left, another cold, solid bar was felt, then another. Tears stung his blurred eyes when he realised he was trapped like an animal in a cage.

A raspy laugh caught his attention. He had regrettably heard that voice before, nearly every time his family was chased out of home and forced to relocate and make a new lair. It was the person he feared the most. Bonesteel. Raphael sat down and shivered as he leaned against the bars. The laugh was heard again. "Stupid animal," the human murmured. 

Raphael heard a door open and another person enter the room. The little turtle blinked his eyes a few times and rubbed them with a hand, slowly getting his vision back. "So you've finally caught one after all these years," Leeroy commented to Bonesteel. The hunter gave him a sly smile in return. Leeroy was Bonesteel's most trusted dealer, and both of them had been in the black market business for years. Bonesteel hunted, while Leeroy searched for a possible buyer. That was how it worked.

"So do you want me to start phoning…" Leeroy began to ask, but stopped when he noticed that Bonesteel wasn't paying any attention to him and was instead staring intently at the little turtle in the cage. "…Simon…" Leeroy tried to make him look his way by calling him by his given name. As though Bonesteel had heard him the first time, he shook his head in response.

"More will come," he said simply, not removing his intimidating eyes from the turtle. Raphael curled up into a ball and hugged his knees, still shivering from the sight of the hunter.

"What do you mean?" Leeroy questioned.

"The rest of the turtles will come for him. Just you wait," Bonesteel informed him, eyes still burning into the little four-year-old turtle. Leeroy simply shrugged and sat down beside the hunter.

Raphael shuddered and looked away from the two leering humans. The smell of death filled the air of the dank warehouse. Numerous animal skin rugs and mounted heads littered the area. A table stood to the side with a half-skinned fox lying limply on the surface. The image made Raphael shudder even further. He looked away, only to lock eyes with another lifeless mammal that had also suffered in the hands of a taxidermist. Not only were there dead animals but piles and piles of weaponry; guns, bullets, tranquilizers; the list went on. Yet a particular item caught Raph's gaze and fear.

The little reptile noticed the large coffee table resting underneath Bonesteel's feet. It was a giant turtle shell, approximately the same size as Leo's and Mike's. Raph's eyes grew wide when he realised that it was indeed his own species; it just looked too similar. As much as it scared him, he couldn't look away. He observed the rough battle scars along the carapace, the chipped scutes and, most oddly, the bullet-sized hole that pierced through both the front and back. The shell was shiny, obviously from being polished, and four ornate legs were attached to the back, making the plastron the table's surface. All of a sudden Raphael felt really sick in the stomach.

"I think it likes my coffee table," Bonesteel said to Leeroy with a cruel smile. They both starred at the boy for a while longer until Bonesteel looked at his watch with impatience. "Something's not right… they should have been here by now…" Bonesteel sensed with a crooked head and a cocked eyebrow. Without saying another word, he gathered his beloved weapons and equipped himself once again.

"What are you doing?" Leeroy asked.

"Initiating Plan B," the hunter answered gruffly then made a raspy giggle, excited with the thought of catching more turtles, and more money. "Keep a close eye on the little one. Have a tranquil nearby. One of those stupid animals will come for him," Bonesteel instructed before he left the warehouse. Leeroy rolled his eyes at his eccentrics, yet did what he was told anyway as a precaution. Although Bonesteel may be weird, he definitely had good instincts.

Raphael stared at Leeroy, and Leeroy stared back. Neither speaking, neither moving. Half an hour passed and nothing of interest had occurred. Leeroy looked at his watch in boredom. Sighing and beginning to believe that Bonesteel wasn't coming back that night, the human put down the tranquilizer dart gun at an arm's length and lighted a cigarette to pass the time. That was what Leonardo had been waiting for, for the past ten minutes.

Totally distracted by the cigarette in his hand, Leonardo easily sneaked up behind Leeroy and rendered him unconscious by the hilt of his single katana. Leo smiled at Raph's delighted face while he searched the human's body for the keys. Finding them in under a minute, Leo opened the cage's door and was greeted by a strong hug from Raphael. 

"Daddy…" he sobbed, finally releasing the tears from the torment of the ordeal. The little turtle hugged him harder when Leo wrapped his arms around boy's shell for comfort.

"Shh… It's okay Raphy, it's okay," Leo whispered in a soothing tone. "C'mon. Let's go home," Leo invited warmly. Gently breaking away from the comforting embrace, Leo looked around the room one last time. That's when he saw the coffee table. 

His finger's clenched in fury, his teeth gritted together. Leonardo knew whose detached shell that was in an instant. He glared at the object, infuriated with what Bonesteel had transformed the remains of his brother into. Leonardo wanted nothing more than to smash it to pieces, so that his enemy could never use the shell as a piece of furniture ever again. But he didn't. He couldn't find it in himself to destroy the final remains of his brother, Raphael. An overwhelming sense of grief entered his mind when he accepted the truth of the matter.

Leonardo looked down and noticed that the boy was also looking fearfully at the table. "Let's go," Leo repeated through clenched teeth with a gentle pull on Raphael's arm, not knowing what to do with the transformed shell at that particular instant. Hand in hand, the adult led the child out of the warehouse and safely into the sewers. 

As they cautiously walked home, Leonardo noticed how shaken Raphael was. _'Poor kid,'_ Leo thought glumly. _'He's only four years old,'_ he reminded himself. Leo observed how his little hand trembled in his grip and how his eyes darted fearfully at every dark and mysterious corner or shadow. With a small smile, Leonardo gently picked the child up and cradled him in his firm arms. In an instant Raphael calmed down, feeling a tremendous deal of safety in Leo's presence. The adult kept walking in silence. When Leo looked down at Raphael in his arms again, he was peacefully asleep. The smile returned to Leo's face.

Quietly, Leo rounded the last corner and entered the lair, hoping to see the rest of the family. But they weren't there. The smile disappeared from Leo's face when he observed the scattered objects across the floor. Their ninjitsu weapons were amongst the mess, left in such a careless disarray so to remind Leo that something serious had occurred, as Mike and Venus wouldn't have left them behind. An unsuccessful tranquilizer dart was found on the floor. Leo recognised it as one of Bonesteel's. The turtle snarled as he pieced the scene together in his mind, and in an instant, he knew where to find the rest of his family.


	11. The Wharves Revisited

Chapter 11: The Wharves Revisited.

"Raphael wake up," Leonardo gently nudged the child that was still sleeping soundly in his arms. The boy groaned and slowly opened his eyes while Leo took that as a cue to place him back on the ground. Still holding onto the adult's hand, Raphael observed the disturbed sight of the lair.

"Where's Mummy?" he asked, staring worriedly into Leo's eyes. When Leonardo didn't answer immediately, Raphael's bottom lip began to quiver in sadness and fright.

"Hey, it's going to be okay," Leo soothed, bending down and giving the already troubled child a much needed hug. "But we both have to be strong now. You've got to help me out," Leonardo instructed him. Raphael slowly nodded his head, sniffled, and wiped away the tears starting to form in his eyes. Leo gave him an encouraging smile, even though he didn't feel like smiling right at that particular moment.

Leonardo stood back up and let out a sigh of despair, realising that he was in quite a predicament. He knew he had to return to Bonesteel's warehouse to rescue the rest of the family, but the real problem was what he was going to do with Raphael in the meantime. Leo couldn't leave him at the lair as it was too much of a risk that Bonesteel might return, and also because they'd have to relocate their home and coming back with Venus and Mike to pick up Raphael would slow the escape down. He had no choice but to take Raphael with him. 

"Raph, gather up your things. We're moving again," Leo said. He watched as the little boy waded through the mess on the floor, trying to collect his belongings. With another sigh, Leo started to clean up as well; gathering up the weapons, maps, spare food and books, before putting them all into one single large bag. As they packed, Leo wondered if the boy would mention the shell coffee table he saw, yet he never did in his extreme quietness. 

Raphael silently watched as Leonardo fished out a few bottles of liquid. The adult gave him a small smile, before beginning to carefully make a couple of potions. "What, what are you doing?" the boy finally opened his mouth to ask. Leonardo appreciated the break from silence. 

"I'm making some special stimulants," he answered. Raphael gave him a confused look. Leo chuckled. "Well, if Mummy and Mikey are acting funny and sleepy, I can give them this and they should wake up and return to normal in no time," Leonardo explained more simply. Raphael gave him a tiny nod. Leo could see that the boy was still rather shaken from his encounter with Bonesteel. 

Five minutes later, Leonardo felt he was prepared, however he knew that Raphael didn't feel the same way. Bag on his back and stimulant potions in his belt, Leo looked at the child in worry. What was he going to do with him? Raphael shuffled his feet uncomfortably, not really knowing what was going on. The child watched as Leo lowered the bag to ground, zipped it open and then fished through its contents. Raphael stared at the weapon Leo presented before him. "Raph, I want you to hold this. If you ever get in trouble, don't be afraid to use it," Leonardo explained before handing him a single sai. He knew that Raphael was way too young to hold a weapon, but he hoped that it would give the child some extra courage and make him feel more secure and safe. 

Raphael looked at the heavy sai in his little hand, admiring the sleekness of the metal and the smooth and ornate handle. Although he had no idea on how to use it, he felt more confident with it in his grasp. Raph traced the prongs with a finger, slowly moving it towards the tip. "Watch out. It's very sharp," Leo cautioned him. Raphael nodded while his eyes still remained on the polished weapon. Taking a deep meditative breath, Leonardo knew it was time to leave. 

Hand in hand, Leo led the child out of the lair for the last time and headed back towards Bonesteel's warehouse. It was a long walk and Raphael's legs became tired easily, yet this time Leo couldn't carry anymore weight due to the large bag on his back, unless he wanted to tire himself out before they even got there. About three blocks away from the wharf, Leonardo thought it would be wise to surface from the sewers there and then, worried about the possibility that the hunter could have left a trap in the upcoming tunnels. 

Raphael slowly climbed up the nearest ladder with Leo following close behind. His little legs shook with fear as he looked down into the engulfing blackness below. "Don't look down. Just keep going up. We're almost there. You're doing great," Leo encouraged. Raphael gulped and continued to climb, stopping when he reached the manhole at the top. Leonardo carefully placed an extended arm out in front, and, with a grunt of effort, slid the metal cover to the side. 

Raphael climbed out and stepped into the cobblestone alley. His eyes darted in wonderment at all the new sights and smells. Various cars drove past only a few metres away at the entrance of the alley, the moon shined in his face and the cold wind chilled his reptilian skin. A whispered instruction from Leo distracted him from his absorbed state. The adult once again took his hand and led him into the deep and darkening shadows.

The two turtles moved silently through the streets as best they could, Raphael trying his best to follow Leo, knowing what it meant to be spotted by unknown humans. They waited in the shadows till there were no immediate cars before crossing the road, slowly but surely getting closer and closer to Bonesteel. It wasn't long till the wharves and the warehouse were in sight, causing Raphael to grip Leo's hand even tighter. Leonardo sighed, knowing full well that they could all be captured tonight. 

"C'mon. Let's go in," Leo whispered to Raphael, regardless of the consequences. The warehouse was two stories high with a corrugated iron roof halfway up the wall on one side to shelter the ground floor. Leo pulled out a grappling hook and threw it towards a gutter on the low roofing. Leo gave it two tugs to make sure it was stable before allowing Raphael to climb onto his back and sit upon the bag. The turtle slowly climbed up the rope, placing one hand strongly in front of the other. 

Holding Raph's scared hand, Leonardo silently led him across the corrugated iron roof, desperately looking for the open window on the second floor that he had used to get in the first time. A sigh of relief swept over him when he found the particular entrance again. Using ninja stealth, Leonardo stepped in, quickly checking that there was no danger about. Raphael naturally followed, not wanting to be left alone, but his little legs stumbled over the windowsill causing him to fall. 

Leonardo swiftly picked the boy up and covered his mouth, scared that the hunter would have heard them from downstairs. When there was no noise, Leo let out the breath that he had been holding and placed Raphael back down, placing a finger on his lips to signal complete silence. Raphael nodded with fearful eyes and held onto the adult's hand for comfort once again.

From the top of the stairs that led down to the ground floor, Leonardo spied the hunter on the couch with his feet on the coffee table, causing Leo nearly scream out in rage. Trying to keep calm, Leo noticed that Leeroy was still unconscious from their last encounter. In preparation, Leo tucked Raphael under his arm, and waited till Bonesteel had turned around. Timing was everything. All of a sudden a baby started wailing and caught the human's attention for the moment. Leonardo used the precious opening to jump over the stair's banister and silently land on the concrete ground floor of the warehouse. 

The turtles were lucky that there were so many crates and junk littering the place as Leo found a new hiding spot in no time. From there he could get a better view of the area. Mike, Venus and Diana were all in the one cage. Diana was currently crying her eyes out, trying to get the attention of her mother. Venus however looked like she had been drugged, obviously so she could still somewhat care for Diana. Mikey on the other hand was clearly tranquilized because apart from his deep breathing pattern, he wasn't moving at all. 

Bonesteel had his back turned away from Leo and Raph, staring intently at the screaming baby in the cage. Leaving Raphael where he was, Leonardo made his move. Sword raised, Leo tentatively shifted closer and closer, until he was right behind the hunter. Sensing the turtle, Bonesteel turned around and immediately pointed the tranquil gun in his hand towards the reptile. But Leo was quicker. With a swift movement, Leo hit Bonesteel over the head with the hilt of his sword rendering him unconscious. Leonardo almost laughed when he realised that the same simple attack worked for the second time that day. 

Leo stepped over the hunter's body, deciding to deal with him later. After a quick search the keys were found and the cage was opened was once again. With a bit of effort, he pulled Venus out. Barely being able to stand, the female turtle flung her body onto Leo, allowing him to support her. Leonardo wasn't too worried until Venus started to seductively kiss his neck. "Not now Venus," he rejected as he stepped away, arms outstretched as he held her unstable shoulders. Venus only giggled in response and tried to hug him again, completely not self-conscious. Leo raised an eye-ridge at her tempting antics. Venus had never drunken alcohol before, but if she did, Leo could easily imagine that she would act this way. 

Leonardo took a small bottle of one of the stimulant potions he had made earlier out of his belt. He unplugged the top and held the object under Venus' nose, allowing the strong scent to snap her out of the drugged state she was in. Still recovering, Leo gently laid her on the ground knowing that he would need her help in moving Mike back down into the sewers. Leonardo then withdrew Diana from the cage, cradling her in his arms in hopes of calming her down.

Raphael cautiously emerged from his hiding place and walked over to the rest of his family. He shuddered at the sight of Bonesteel even though the hunter was still unconscious. Yet for some reason, the human seemed intriguing. Raph watched intently as Bonesteel harmlessly breathed in and out, stepping closer with confidence to observe the usually dangerous sight. Raphael's eyes furrowed when he thought he saw Bonesteel's hand twitch, and moved in even closer to inspect it more carefully. "Stay away from him Raph," Leo cautioned, still trying his best to calm Diana. But Raphael was too curious and gave the hunter a little poke in the leg.

Bonesteel snapped awake and grabbed the boy's leg causing Raphael's to scream with terror, dropping his sai in the midst of the drama. With Diana still being carried, Leo withdrew his single sword and swiftly advanced towards the hunter. Grinning with preconceived success, Bonesteel reached for his gun with his spare hand. Yet he was too late. 

A bloody gash from his right hip to his left shoulder appeared; Leo's sword was stained with Bonesteel's blood. The turtle kicked the gun out of arm's reach, put away his sword and pulled Raphael out of the hunter's dying grip. Bonesteel gasped for air as he angrily locked eyes with Leonardo. Blood continued to gush out of his stomach. Leo could have finished him off, yet he wanted him to suffer for what he had done to his brother. Bonesteel would die from blood loss in ten minutes.

Venus wiped her eyes and slowly stood up, finally regaining consciousness. She stared at the human gasping for air on the ground. "What happened?" she asked.

"I'll tell you later," Leo said briskly, wanting to get out of the warehouse as quickly as possible. "I'll need your help with Mike," Leo stated while handing Diana over to Raphael. Venus nodded and helped Leo drag out the large unconscious turtle. They both tried to stand Mike upright before moving either side of him to support his weight on their shoulders. 

Taking one last look at the dying human, the turtle family began to leave the warehouse. Although Leo wanted to see Bonesteel's final moments, he knew that they shouldn't waste anymore time as Mike was already going to slow them down. _'Besides'_, he thought. _'The last thing Raphael needs to see right now is someone die'._ A short while later, the turtles were safely in the sewers, slowly making their way towards what hoped to be a new lair.

Bonesteel clutched at his chest in absolute pain, hopelessly trying to compress the wound by himself. His hands shivered as they lost more and more blood. Knowing he didn't have much time left, Bonesteel screamed for help, but the only response he heard was a groan from Leeroy. Head still in agony from being hit with the hilt of Leo's sword, Leeroy groggily sat up and looked around. Nothing could prepare him for what he saw in front of him. Visibly shaking himself out of his shocked state, Leeroy rushed over to the warehouse's only phone and called the number reserved for emergencies. As Leeroy frantically spoke to the person on the other end, he kept a constant watch on Bonesteel as he struggled to cling on for life.


	12. Silver vs Bonesteel

Disclaimer: I own the characters Diana, Sarah, Joseph and Leeroy. Bonesteel, Venus and Silver belong to Saban while the other turtles belong to Mirage studios… I think… Raphael, I guess, belongs to me as well!

Chapter 12: Silver vs. Bonesteel.

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Two weeks later. London, England. Hospital room 176.

Bonesteel groggily stared at the food tray on his lap, trying to focus his mind before attempting the fateful task. He had tried most of the food that lay before him and knew that they were rather disgusting, all except for one; the orange juice cup. Bonesteel attempted to reach for it with his right arm, but once again he forgot about the IV drip, painfully yanking it about on his forearm. He snarled and waited for the pain to subside. Bonesteel began to glare at the juice cup.

Moving his unaffected left arm forwards, he tried to carefully pry open the slick aluminum foil lid, yet it wouldn't budge. Snarling once again, he picked it up and brought it to his right hand, thinking that he needed two hands for the task. Yet his fingers were weak, leaving the juice cup unopened. Still snarling, he brought the cup to his mouth and tried to puncture the lid with his teeth. It didn't work. _'Do they super glue these things?'_ Bonesteel thought while emitting a growl. With his left arm he slammed the unharmed juice cup back onto the food tray, giving up for the time being. 

Feeling the familiar uncomfortable swelling in his bladder, the hunter pressed a button hidden amongst his bed sheets in order to call the nurse to help him go to the toilet. He hated this place. While waiting for assistance, he rested his chin against his chest to observe the large scar diagonally across his torso. He didn't really mind it, he thought of it as another battle trophy. 

Bonesteel smiled with relief when a nurse appeared at his door, but he soon found out that she wasn't there to help. She smiled to the visitor behind her before leaving to do other things. The waiting man entered the room. "How you going Simon?" Leeroy asked, sitting at the end of his bed.

"Better," Bonesteel mumbled in reply. "I'll be better when I catch those turtles," he added. Leeroy sighed, remembering their last encounter with the overgrown reptiles.

It had been a mad panic for the ambulance officers when they finally arrived at the warehouse after Leeroy had phoned them about the incident. On the brink of death, Bonesteel was sped to the hospital emergency room where he was operated on for hours at a time. Leonardo's strike had moderately damaged some of the hunter's internal organs, yet the biggest worry was the amount of blood lost; Leeroy had to donate some of his blood in order for Bonesteel to live on. But it didn't finish there. After having several operations, Bonesteel's massive wound contracted a secondary infection, prolonging his stay in the hospital, no matter how much he argued that he was fine.

Leeroy gave Bonesteel a friendly smile; a façade of his true feelings. "You know… I was thinking. Maybe you should take a break from hunting them," Leeroy suggested. Bonesteel gave him a dark look. Leeroy returned the gaze with a stern stare, regrettably knowing how stubborn Simon was. "Look. As much as I hate to say this, you're seriously injured. You're already going to spend both Christmas and New Years in here. Don't you have any family to spend time with?" Leeroy asked. Bonesteel shook his head. "Girlfriend?" he asked, only to get the same response.

"Hunting is my life," Bonesteel said with seriousness. 

"I understand that just… a lot of people are chasing after the turtles. They'll get caught, don't worry. I'm thinking that maybe you should move on from them. There are other animals to hunt," Leeroy explained. He knew that the turtles were worth a lot of money, but he also knew that the chances of catching them first now were slim to none. Bonesteel only grunted in response. "Just think it over," Leeroy finished.

The two men stared at each other for a while without saying a word. Bonesteel's eyes rested on the unopened juice cup still in front of him. "Can you open that?" he asked grudgingly, pointing to it with his left hand. With a nod, Leeroy picked it up and attempted to open it. After failing the first time, he tried again with the different approach of using his other hand. Suddenly the lid popped open spilling orange juice all over the bed and floor. Leeory gave the disgruntled Bonesteel a sheepish smile.

*****

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A few days later. Sydney, Australia. New Years Eve.

Donatello pulled his fedora further down as he shuffled through the enormous crowds at Circular Quay. A five minute walk away to his left was the Sydney Opera House, while ten minutes to the right was the Harbour Bridge; naturally the area was packed with people eager to watch the midnight fireworks. 

Don smiled to himself as he remembered the New Years Eves he spent with his family back in New York. They would all travel for hours to find the perfect spot in Times Square to see the silver glittering ball drop. Don sighed. It was another year he would celebrate alone. 

Donatello slowly made his way to a decent spot to see the fireworks, being careful that nobody saw his face, even though he was certain that people's attention would be occupied elsewhere. He still couldn't believe the amount of excitement and anticipation that was in the air. Sydney, compared to New York was a very quiet city, yet it was nights like these when everyone gathered together and made the town come alive with commotion. Even though it was rather dangerous being out in the public eye, Donatello appreciated the company of many sightseers that greatly contrasted his lonely lifestyle.

A loud chant began as the countdown to the New Year started. Donatello stared up at the sky as multicoloured fireworks were shot off into the air from the Harbour Bridge. Everyone in the audience fell silent as they watched the sparkling light show; the only noise being a radio where the station played the music that was supposedly coordinated with the fireworks. 

After a lengthy display of pyrotechnics, a waterfall of golden sparks fell underneath the bridge; an effect that happened every year and was now considered to be a New Year's tradition. One last massive single firework finished the show and shortly after the whole crowd moved off to the nearest available train station.

Donatello sighed once again, wishing that his family had been with him to see the show. He had heard about Bonesteel's hospitalisation and knew that his family must have run into trouble somewhere along the line. Don wanted to help them, but he didn't know how, nor did he want to get into trouble himself. What really confused him though, was Bonesteel's report that there were five turtles. Five? Were they including him? Or did Venus have another child, and if so, who was the father? Donatello shook his head, knowing that he wouldn't receive an answer. 

He had decided long ago that it was Leo's responsibility to find him, not the other way around. Don didn't know where he came up with that reasoning, but it was most because he was scared; too afraid to leave the safety of his humble abode. He had set up a life for himself, developed a routine, and he had established a stable lair. As much as he hated to admit it, he knew that his family's days were numbered. Don had reached the stage where he wished to see them, yet all the same, he could keep on living without, as lonely as that was.

Noticing that the crowds had thinned drastically, Donatello gave the moonlit harbour one more glance before slowly heading home. "Happy New Year" Donatello greeted himself.

*****

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A few hours later. New Years Eve. London, England.

"Can't we see the fireworks?" Raphael whined for the umpteenth time.

"No Raph," Leo answered shortly. The boy turned to his mother, seeing if she would give another answer.

"Mummy, can we?" Raphael asked again. Venus sadly shook her head before giving him a hug and a kiss on the head for comfort.

After Bonesteel was attacked, the turtles were classified as highly dangerous animals. The public was in an uproar at the authority's irresponsibility in keeping the community safe; no one felt comfortable knowing that harmful mutant turtles took residence under the city. In response to the angry citizens, many scientists flocked to London to help in the capture of the reptilian beasts, hoping to get a hand in the enormous reward.

Leonardo and Mikey frowned as Raphael sulked beside his mother. They too wished they could see the large golden fireworks that beautifully illuminated the Thames, considering that they did nothing special for Christmas that year. But they all knew that it was way too dangerous with thousands of humans being out on the streets. Even though it was a public holiday, Leo was certain that people would be still searching the sewers for them, so they had to stay quiet in their tight concrete hiding spot.

Some movement caught Leo's eye. Venus placed his restless daughter on the ground and they all watched with admiration as the baby began to crawl forward for the first time. A large smile appeared on Diana's delightful face as she clumsily plodded over into her father's arms. Leo picked her up and gave her a grin of praise, yet there was still regret behind his excited expression. He feared their future as he knew their time of freedom was slowly coming to an end. 

With Diana still being an uncontrollable baby, taking her with them on a plane, ferry or carrier ship was a highly risky solution to their problem, as they would be found while in transit. Stuck in the sewers hiding like criminals was not the way Leo wanted to raise his child, yet unfortunately they had no control over their future. Instead they hoped for the unrealistic, that after a while things would die down and they could live in peace. But Leo knew that it would be a long time to come.

*****

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A few days later. London, England.

Bonesteel smiled to himself as he signed the last of his hospital papers. After weeks of being bedridden and going through rehabilitation, Simon Bonesteel was finally allowed to leave. With a bottle of proscribed medication in his hand, he walked out the door and breathed in the fresh air.

He sighed, not really knowing what to do. Bonesteel knew what Leeroy had meant in taking a break from hunting the turtles. The city authorities seemed to have them on the run, so it was rather pointless to join the chase, as there was a high chance that they'd be caught by someone else, therefore being a poor investment and a waste of time. Although it was extremely rare for him to give up on a hunt, Bonesteel always had another project as a backup. 

Ten minutes after Bonesteel had been released from hospital, he made a phone call to organise a flight to New York.

*****

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A few weeks later. New York City.

Silver scrambled up the stairs of one of his many lairs located in New York City. He hurriedly looked behind to see if the hunter was coming. The silvery furred ape stood silent as he tried to listen to his surroundings. Nothing was heard, yet Silver knew that Bonesteel was near; watching and waiting for his perfect moment to strike. Although Silver always thought his goons were incompetent, it was times like these where he really missed them.

Silver was still bitter about his defeat with the turtles. He remembered the days where he could take anything he wanted, when he wanted it, particularly rare items, mainly because he felt he deserved them due to his pain and endurance of truly being the last of his kind. However the turtles changed his luxurious lifestyle by making sure that the police arrested every single one of his low IQ goons. How he missed them now.

After the turtles were caught and taken to the zoo years ago, Bonesteel, being bored, quickly made Silver his new hunting target. For months he was chased, but unlike the unfortunate sewer dwelling reptiles, Silver had numerous lairs to fall back on. Although the intelligent ape hated the turtles, he rejoiced when they escaped the zoo as Bonesteel quickly went back to his old hunting target, leaving him alone in peace for years to come. Yet now it seemed Bonesteel had changed targets again, most likely because he wanted a break from the overly hunted green mutants.

Silver flinched when he heard a small noise downstairs. Not wanting to take his chances with the crazed hunter, Silver headed into an upstairs room as quietly as he could. Standing still once more, Silver swore he heard one of the floorboards creak. The ape frantically looked around for a hiding place, knowing that the hunter was coming up the stairs to get him. Out of desperation, Silver crawled into a nearby wardrobe, trying to close the doors as best he could. There he waited.

His heart tightened when a definite footstep was heard. Another bout of silence occurred soon after. A heavy tension filled the room. The ape tried his best to peer through the small crack left in-between the wardrobe doors, but nothing could be seen. A sudden rush of anger flooded his brain, hating the feeling of fear. Silver's fists curled up, patiently waiting for his chance to turn the tables on the hunter.

Suddenly the doors swung open and Silver blindly leaped out hoping to hit the nearby human, but his limbs never made contact with Bonesteel's flesh. A tranquil had embedded itself into Silver's back before he had the chance to make another swing. Vision quickly blurring, Silver looked into the eyes of his attacker and pledged to himself that he would get revenge, knowing the outcome of his future. 

As the large silver ape dropped to the floor in unconsciousness, Bonesteel calmly smiled to himself in accomplishment. The human reached into his jacket pocket to receive his cell phone and proudly made a call to the New York zoo.

A/N: Sorry about the lateness in the posting of this chapter. I've started back at school so I don't have as much free time. So unfortunately updates will most likely become once a week… It also doesn't help when fanfiction.net doesn't let me sign in!! Anyway, I'll try to update whenever I can. Oh, and just a warning: next chapter will include another one of my massive time jumps, so be prepared. 


	13. Invasion

Chapter 13: Invasion.

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3 ½ years later. London, England.

Life and its many complications only became worse for the turtles. After Bonesteel had successfully captured Silver and transferred him into the same zoo the turtles had once been in, he returned to London to continue his hunting spree. However, even though the fearful hunter was back on their tails, he was now the least of their problems. 

Experts in numerous fields spent hours of their day searching the sewers either physically or electronically. After years of close calls, the scientists gradually developed a system of high-tech equipment where the city would be scanned below ground for any unusual heat emissions. Along with that, video cameras were set up around the sewers, in addition to traps and ultraviolet powders used for tracking. Yet naturally, the more the scientists' techniques developed, the better the turtles became in avoiding them; because of their cold blood they radiated less heat than some of the sewer rats; while the traps, powders and cameras were simply avoided with ninja stealth.

But still, no matter how adept the turtles became with avoiding the scientists' technology, life was challenging. Sightings were growing more and more common and being recaptured was a frightening possibility. Just getting food was a problem and usually due to the scientists' intervention, the turtle clan had to starve for a number of days to avoid being caught. When things became really bad, the turtles either spent the night at Sarah's apartment or, in rare cases, traveled towards the country where the scientists weren't focusing their attention. However, with the clan being spotted more frequently, the noose, their era of freedom was tightening and coming to a close. And Leonardo knew it. 

It was late morning and Venus and Mike were out, hopefully getting some much-needed food. To occupy the children's tired and hungry minds, Leonardo gave Raphael a ninjitsu lesson. The adult watched with interest as the seven year old performed the kicking kata he'd learned the other day. Though some of his movements were slightly sloppy and lacked focus, the little turtle still produced rather strong and solid kicks. Leonardo grinned even wider when he saw Diana harmlessly mimicking her older half-brother's attacks in the background. 

She was three years of age and was already showing potential and interest in ninjitsu, much to her parent's delight. Diana, eager to learn, usually tried to copy either her sibling's or parent's movements so she could feel included and helpful. Though sometimes when it came to the more dangerous techniques, it was considered harmful when she tried to imitate due to her lack of training. But Leo had decided to change all of that today, knowing exactly what colour would suit his daughter.

As Raphael performed a straight rising kick as part of his kata, his eyes slid to the side and caught Diana copying his every move. Feeling cheeky, he performed a flying back kick. He smiled to himself when all Diana could do was pout. Leo frowned, knowing that Mikey must have taught him another technique way above his level even though he seemed to have executed it with extreme precision. "Stick to the kata Raph," Leonardo warned him nonetheless.

Mike and Venus suddenly entered the lair, making Leonardo sigh with relief when he saw the loaf of bread in their grip. Diana quickly abandoned her mimicking and ran over to give her mother a cuddle around the legs, causing the adult female to nearly trip over. 

After Raphael had finished his kata, Leo and Raph joined the rest of the family in a late breakfast. While Raph munched on his plain bread, Diana started to curiously play with his arm. Thinking nothing of it, Raphael ignored his little sister until he began to feel a sharp pain in his hand. It didn't take him long to realise that Diana was practicing her wrist locks. "Ow!" he exclaimed, yanking his hand from her tiny grip. Diana simply beamed a smile. "Who taught you that?" Raphael demanded, partly impressed that she'd remembered such a precise move. With a giggle Diana pointed to her uncle.

"Hey! It was supposed to be a secret!" Mike said to his niece with a wink.

"Mike will you stop teaching them techniques without my acknowledgment," Leonardo said more as a command than a question.

"But you're teaching them all the boring moves!" Mikey whined.

"Daddy, when, when, when can I learn mooves cause, cause I want to learn," Diana asked meekly, pulling her bread apart into tiny squares with her little fingers. Venus and Leo only smiled to each other.

"Well I'm glad you asked because I have something special for you," Leo said slyly. Diana's eyes brightened at the thought of receiving a rare gift. After taking a minute to search through a nearby bag, Leo retrieved a small piece of white material. Diana looked at it with curiosity and interest. With a proud smile on his face, Leo wrapped the strip of material around his daughter's forehead, transforming it into a white bandanna. Diana grinned with delight when she realised what it meant; she was finally going to be taught to live like a ninja.

With a tender hand, she felt the back of her new bandanna. "It's short," she commented, feeling the material tails.

"You'll get used to it," Raphael reassured her while he gave her a cuddle of congratulations. Raphael's bandanna tails had lengthened considerably, now with the material ending at the nape of his neck. Yet he still had a long way to go especially when the adults' bandannas ended halfway down their backs.

After swallowing the last part of his crust, Mike excused himself from the gathering saying that he was going to head over to Sarah's apartment to pick up something. Venus and Leo, although they were extremely worried about whether or not he'll be okay due to the constant whereabouts of inquisitive scientists, they knew that this secret errand was particularly special and important.

*****

Mike lightly tapped on Sarah's bedroom window while cautiously looking around to see if anyone could see him from the balcony. The turtle sighed with relief Sarah finally came to let him in. Stepping into her apartment, he observed the desk in the corner smothered with costume designs and sketches. After working and living in London for a couple of years, Sarah finally applied for British citizenship. Having being successful in the retail industry, Sarah then decided to take another step forward by working in fashion design, creating some of the new looks for the season.

With a gentle and welcoming smile, Sarah led Mike into the kitchen and showed him the precooked iced cake that she bought from the bakery. 

"Raph's going to love this! He's never gotten a cake for his birthday. Thanks for doing this," Mike said while admiring the fiery red icing and the white lettering that spelt out the boy's name.

"It was nothing. Glad I could help," Sarah said with a smile, handing Mike the eight candles that he could use. They stared into each other's eyes creating an awkward moment. 

"So how's the family?" Sarah asked to break the silence.

"Oh they're fine. Never been better," Mike said with a wide grin.

"Don't lie," Sarah said bluntly, seeing through his façade. Mike sighed, not really wanting to answer her original question.

"I, I just don't know how much longer we can run…" Mike finally said with a soft tone.

"I know what you mean…" Sarah admitted after failing to find defensive words to what the turtle had said. Mike nodded sadly. "But you guys will pull through. You always do," Sarah added, trying to see the bright side.

"They're… The scientists are getting closer. It took me an hour just to avoid them when coming here," Mike explained, little tears forming in his eyes. Sarah gently pulled him into a hug as an attempt to calm him down, knowing how emotional the turtle could get. It wasn't the first time he'd cried in front of her. In fact, he usually saved his tears for her. Whether it was because he didn't want to cry in front of the children, or if it was just a sneaky way in getting a free hug, she didn't know. But she always offered friendship and comfort nonetheless. 

After a minute or so, Mike pulled away fully composed. "Thanks," he said with a smile. Sarah only smiled back. "I should be going. I don't want Leo to worry," Mike excused himself. He picked the cake up and checked to see if the plastic cover was completely on. Sarah then moved in and gave him a kiss on the cheek; a ritual that had developed over the past two years. The turtle blushed in the same way Raphael did when he was kissed by April.

"I'll see you later," Sarah said.

"Yeah…" Mike said still blushing. Sarah giggled, having no idea how strong Mike's crush was. After finding his feet again, Mike slowly shuffled back towards the bedroom window, and, with a smile and a wave, disappeared from sight.

*****

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Sydney Australia.

It was late. Yet time never really did matter when living underground. Donatello munched on a slice of pizza while watching television. It took many months for Donatello to fully equip his lair so that it had the bare minimum entertainment features that existed back in his old home in America. He looked around and admired his computer humming in the corner, the television in the middle of the room and the fully operational security alarm system.

The turtle sighed at his mismatched creations before taking another bite out of the slice of pizza he had acquired by sneaking through the back door to a restaurant. As he chewed, Don closed his eyes and tried to remember what pizzas used to taste like back in New York, preferring the juicy dripping cheese compared with the stiffness of the Australian pizza.

He licked his fingers to preserve the taste knowing that it would be a while before he got his hands on another one. Don yawned and looked at his watch, astonished at how late it was. He stood up and turned the television off before considering going to bed. Yet for some reason he didn't feel like sleeping right at that moment.

Bored, Donatello sat down at the table he'd acquired somewhere along the line of the many years he'd lived in Sydney. Like an obsession, the turtle reached the scrapbook that was permanently positioned on the furniture's slick surface. He flicked through the thin-papered book, studying some the news articles he'd collected over the years. Naturally they all featured his family. Although there were few photos, Donatello still treasured the scrapbook as though it was an album. 

Don stopped flicking and came to rest on a popularly viewed page. It was a newspaper article with a large black and white photo included. It depicted an unconscious young turtle trapped in a cage. The photo had been taken by Bonesteel himself a couple of years ago. Donatello stared at it, knowing by the date and the size of the turtle that this was Raph and Venus' child, yet the picture was too faded and fuzzy to see whether or not the kid was a boy or girl.

As he continued to stare at the photo, a small tear dribbled down his cheek. Although he didn't know Venus' gestation period, Don assumed that the child would be turning eight this year. _'Eight!'_ Don thought. _'I've missed so much…'_ he worried as another tear dripped down. Don continued to glance through the articles he'd glued into his scrapbook over the years. There were so many close calls… He even recorded an episode of the Heathrow reality television show 'Airport' when his family was mentioned as one of the many problems. 

A cascade of tears unexpectedly streamed down his cheeks forcing him to close the scrapbook. Don was tired and his emotions were getting the better of him. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and tried to compose himself for the next couple of minutes. With a sigh and a slight headache left over from his emotional outburst, Donatello trudged over to his warm bed in hopes that his dreams would cheer him up back to his old self.

*****

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The next day. London, England. Raphael's eighth birthay.

Raphael grinned when he looked over the presents he'd been given. From his mother he received a lovely warm red scarf; an item that he really needed in the colder months. Leo had given him two red boxing gloves so they could do more sparring in lessons, while Mike had presented him with a book filled with quirky short stories. Diana, feeling slightly left out, made her older half-brother a paper birthday card using pencils and markers. Raphael nodded to himself. This was one of the best birthdays he'd ever had.

Yet nothing compared to Sarah's present. The boy's eyes widened in surprise when he saw the delicious looking fluffy, fiery red icing on top of a golden baked cake. Raph licked his lips in anticipation. Please by his response, Mike placed the eight candles on top and lighted them, creating an eerie glow.

A scientist sipped a can of coke while staring at a computer screen. Bored, the man clicked his mouse for another heat scan under the city to be made. Taking another sip, he waited for the computer to finish. He was curious at what he found. Eight tiny high heat emissions showed up on the screen. On closer inspection he realised that it could only be fire. But why was there fire underneath the city, especially in eight neat flames? There was nothing to burn. It was all concrete. Placing down his can of coke, the scientist quickly made a phone call.

"-Raphael. Happy Birthday to you!" the turtle family sung the famous tune, Michelangelo on purposely singing out of key. Raphael smiled with childlike delight at the flickering candles on the cake. Sucking in a breath, the boy blew them out all at once, making a wish in the process. After being handed a plastic knife, Raphael was allowed to do the honours and cut the cake.

"Don't touch the bottom!" Mike warned him. Raphael stopped his downward cut halfway.

"Why not?" he asked with confusion written all over his face.

"Because it means your wish won't come true," Leonardo informed him.

"I thought it meant you had to kiss the nearest girl?" Mike pondered, wondering where he had heard his version. Diana's eyes widened and backed away from Raphael. The boy simply rolled his eyes and groaned at the silly superstitions. Not believing in the tradition, Raphael cheekily sliced the cake all the way to the bottom. Mike mocked a gasp, not really caring at what he had done; he would get cake faster this way if Raphael just kept cutting.

Once the cake was divided into five slices, they each took one and began eat the delicious fluffy baked pastry. Silence swept over the clan as they chewed, savoring the taste. That's when they heard the invasion. 

People; humans were coming!

Swallowing their last bite, the adults rushed for their weapons as a large group of about twenty-five humans stormed into the lair. Diana gasped in fright and stayed near her older brother for comfort as the other turtles engaged in battle. 

There was no mercy. The turtles tried their best to make one hit kills; Leo performed the first by skewering an approaching human with his single sword. Yet the scientists and army personnel out numbered them greatly and soon they had the mutant reptiles hopelessly surrounded. Tranquilizer dart guns were raised armed and ready. Immediately the three adults moved in close, knowing it would be more difficult to shoot if they were only a couple of inches away from the humans. 

Swinging his blood-drenched sword, Leo managed to knock out two more people. Yet because he was the most aggressive of the lot, he was sedated first. Venus and Mike continued to fight, trying not to show their concern for their fallen comrade. 

As Mike briskly fought, in his peripheral vision he saw someone raise their dart gun. Knowing that it could be the end, Mike raised both of his tonfas to cover his face and closed his eyes. The shot was heard, yet Mike felt nothing. He opened his eyes and almost jumped for joy when he found the dart safely lodged into his weapon. Though his relief was short lived when another dart was fired. After staggering for a few seconds, Mike dropped to the ground with a dart in his thigh.

Now it was time to panic. Venus knew it was over. Even if she did win the fight, she knew that her children and herself couldn't move both Leo and Mike in time before reinforcements arrived. Venus retreated back to the centre of the circle where her two kids were. She was their last line of defense. With her maternal instincts kicking in, she gripped her kai mi balls filled to the brim with chi energy even tighter. She only had two, so she had to make them worth it. With one last glance, she admired her children, yet she also wondered why they hadn't been sedated. Suddenly she knew.

"Raphael. Take your sister and run," Venus advised him.

"But mum-"

"Just do it! They won't sedate you! They don't know your correct dosage," she said to him.

"I'm not going to leave you!" Raphael protested, Diana still clinging onto him for safety. Venus successfully ducked a dart by going into a roll. From her new position on the floor, she threw one of her kai mi's, causing a small group of humans to fly back in pain. Panicking, she quickly threw her second and last ball, rendering herself unarmed. She hadn't knocked down enough.

"Just go!" she screamed to her son while tears of defeat streamed down her face. A single dart appeared in her neck, causing her to suffer the same fate of both Leo and Mike. Trembling, Diana and Raphael huddled together while the humans emerged with a large net. Adrenaline kicking in, Raphael detached himself from Diana's scared grip and nimbly crawled through the legs of an approaching person. Almost stumbling over himself, Raphael picked up his two sais, not willing to give up just yet.

"Hey, calm down," a scientist coaxed the boy while trying to approach him with a net. Raphael growled and rammed a single sai into the man's foot, making him scream and hop in agony. Three army soldiers approached at once; one managed to successfully grab the turtle. Yet Raphael elbowed him in the stomach before kicking another in the groin with a rising straight kick, and knocking the wind out of another with his illegally learnt flying back kick. 

An uproar was heard amongst the twelve remaining humans. They all tried to approach at once, yet they all stopped when Raphael raised his sais. "Drop your weapon!" a demanding voice was heard. Raphael stood in shock as a knife was held at ransom at Diana's throat. A tidal wave of guilt washed over him. He shouldn't have left her. He should have been by her side. Raphael stared into the little three-year-old's face. He could tell she was extremely frightened. Tears swept down her cheeks as shuddering sobs were emitted. Her body stood trembling like a leaf. "Drop your weapon!" the human demanded again, bringing the knife closer to his sister's throat.

Maybe he was scared that he'd lose his sister. Maybe he knew that he'd already lost. Maybe he was just simply tired of running all of his life. None of the humans knew why Raphael gave up and placed his two sais on the ground in defeat.


	14. Return to the Glass Prison

Reinbeauchaser – Why Melbourne Zoo when there's Taronga Zoo only ten minutes away from where he lives? Just kidding. School's quickly getting stressful… you know it's stressful when the teachers hand out free books titled 'Survival Guide'. Ugh! Believe it or not, English is currently my worst subject! I ditched maths last week, we made nail polish remover in Chemistry (it's an ester!), got dumped with another ridiculous sized art assignment, finished reading an absurdist play in Drama, and in Biology… actually Biology's the subject I completely tune out in and plan future fanfics instead… o.0 We had a substitute teacher today though… his name actually is Michelangetti Raphael… scary, all my fics are Biology inspired…

Disclaimer: Don't own anyone except Joseph, Diana, Sarah, Leeroy and RJ… you know what I mean. The zoo in New York is a fictional place and is not based on any specific zoo. 

Chapter 14: Return to the Glass Prison.

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Flight 161. London to New York.

After a couple of hours filled with debate, it was finally decided that the zoo in New York was the best place to house and care for the reptiles, due to their experience and suitable facilities. And so began the arduous journey of transporting the turtle family across the Atlantic Ocean.

Raphael listened to the long and continuous drone of the airplane's engines. He rested his head on one of the many metal bars that surrounded him. A small tear traveled down his cheek at the thought of being in a cage for the rest of his life, but he wiped it away as soon as it appeared.

A sob was heard beside him. Peering through the bars of his personal cage, Raphael watched as Diana heaved a few tears. "Hey… It's gonna be okay," Raph tried to calm her down even though he was extremely frightened himself. The little female turtle sniffled.

"Are, are Mummy and Daddy… dead?" Diana whispered with a terrified tone, sniffling back another tear. Raphael tried his best to give her a warm smile.

"No. They're just sleeping. They'll wake up soon," Raphael comforted. He looked around the airplane's storage compartment and stared at the unconscious adults in separate cages. Raph looked back towards the saddened form of Diana. "But we have to be strong for Mum and Dad. They need us now…" the boy continued. Diana crawled over towards her older half-brother and reached out for him, squeezing her arm past the metal bars. With a slight smile, Raphael did the same and clasped hands with his sister. In an instant, Diana's tears stopped falling. "See, I'm here. I'm here for you…" Raphael reassured her.

They held each other's hands for the rest of the flight. When the plane had landed, the airtight doors opened. One by one their cages were removed through the use of heavy machinery. Diana squealed with fright at the amount of noise and the bright lights, not used to being topside. Raphael wildly looked about his new surroundings, frowning at the unknown tall buildings. Yet somewhere deep inside he knew that he was in New York, thousands of miles away from home. The turtles weren't outside for long as the cages were transported and loaded in to the back of a large truck. 

The drive was fairly long, obviously from being held up by traffic. It was dark in the back of the truck and Raphael couldn't see any other members of his family. Yet above the jostling noise from the vehicle, Raph could still hear his sister's sobs, no matter how much it hurt his heart to acknowledge them.

By the time they reached the zoo, Raphael was very weary of traveling and was on the urge of falling asleep. Straining to stay awake, Raphael watched as his cage was wheeled down a white corridor before coming to rest in an oddly designed room. He stared at the five weird glass cells that jutted out from the perimeter. A waist high metallic control panel lay to his left. Just looking at the room produced chills to roll down his spine. 

He watched in horrified silence as two scientists – a man and a woman – performed blood tests on the unconscious adult turtles. After getting the samples they needed, they approached Diana's cage, needle in hand. "How are we going to do this?" the female scientist, Dr Aquel asked.

"Well, open the door and pull it out," Dr Yesmal, the other scientist answered simply. With a shrug of the shoulders and a click, Aquel opened Diana's cage door. Immediately the little turtle scooted back to huddle in the corner. Raphael could tell from her uncontrollable shaking that she was highly distressed.

"Hey! Leave her alone!" Raphael quickly interjected. The two humans were startled by his sudden outburst yet they still continued in their fussing over Diana only a short while later. The little female turtle gasped in discomfort as Dr Aquel hastily grabbed onto her arm to drag her out of the cage. Wrapping one arm around the reptile, the scientist tried to take a blood sample using her free hand. Diana began to freak when she saw the size of the needle. "Run!" Raphael urged her from the confines of his cage.

Shaking and scared, Diana managed to bring the needle bearing hand into a wrist lock, causing the sharp object to fall harmlessly to the floor. With a spin of the body, Diana somehow broke free of Aquel's hold. She hastily ran away, moving further into the glass prison room. Diana squealed and nearly tripped over when the scientists tried to pursue her. She quickened her pace, not really knowing where she was going.

Diana stopped when she reached a dead end in the room. Frantically looking for a way to escape, Diana locked eyes with the occupant of one of the glass prisons. She hadn't even seen him when she first entered the room, yet now she wished she hadn't seen him at all. He was a large humanoid ape with silver fur. It wasn't that what bothered her. What made Diana feel uncomfortable was the way the ape looked at her. He had a wild and dangerously untamed appearance and a horrible angry glare to match. She shuddered where she stood, allowing the two scientists to take hold of her again. This time Dr Aquel held Diana while Dr Yesmal performed the test. Tears dripped down the little girl's face in fright as her blood was extracted.

Raphael growled as they approached him after they had carefully returned Diana to her separate cage. Starting to wise up, the two scientists decided not to open Raph's cage at all. Instead, Dr Yesmal left the room and returned a short while later with a long pole combined with a noose on the end. Tediously, the man poked the object through the metal bars and managed to catch Raphael off guard by swiftly hooking his left arm through the tightening loop. Although Raph struggled as best he could, the two scientists dragged him towards them so that his arm poked through he bars. Hanging his head in defeat, Raphael waited as the prolonged stinging blood test was completed.

*****

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Sydney, Australia.

Donatello concentrated on his twiddling hands as beads of sweat dripped down his brow. Using a screwdriver, Don tightened the final screw to his new and improved radio alarm clock. He smiled at his accomplishment. It was times like these when he appreciated being alone, remembering all the hardships he faced when his family intervened when creating his inventions. 

Donatello looked at his watch as a reference for what time to set the clock for. He almost jumped in disbelief when he realised the nightly news was on. Anxious, Don turned on his television before sitting down on his beanbag chair. He watched the local news with only slight interest; a new State Government transport policy, a late night shooting in a usually quiet suburb, a lethal car accident out in the country and a recap of an environmental issue. The world news section began with the first story being about the Queen of England. Donatello groaned and sighed, knowing that it must have been a slow news night. But the next story intrigued him greatly.

A short and limited amount of footage was shown as a news reporter detailed what was happening with a voice over. The television screen depicted several large cages containing unconscious members of his family being transported to the back of a large truck. Donatello immediately recognised the airport to be one of New York's. Nothing much was really said, yet it clear that his family was captured and they were going to be taken back to the same zoo.

Donatello sighed to himself as the ad break came on. In a weird kind of way, he was relieved that they were finally captured because he now knew where they were exactly, and that they wouldn't be leaving any time soon. After all these years, Donatello could begin to plan some more finalised ideas. Of course, he decided to wait a few days, knowing that the heightened security around the zoo would make a rescue plan rather useless.

That last thought made Donatello feel queasy. What if he failed his mission? He would be taken back to the Pentagon and his family would never know what happened. Don shivered at the thought. He was scared. It was as though he was addicted to his life of solitude; no one knew he lived in Australia and therefore no one would ever purposefully capture him. 

Out of seemingly nowhere, a bitter and twisted thought entered his mind. Why should he save them? They never came to rescue him! Why should he put himself in danger when the others never bothered to do the same? The tables had turned. Donatello was the free one while all the others were in captivity.

The turtle shook his head, trying to shake out the nasty bothersome thoughts. Although he had learnt to accept and sometimes enjoy his extremely solitary life, deep inside was an empty void that could only be filled by seeing his family in person again. Over the years he had built up so many questions to ask them and now it seemed he was closer to having them voiced. Naturally, he had tried contacting them in other ways, mainly through email, yet whenever he sent something he received a notice saying that the address had been expired. Obviously his family didn't have Internet access when they were staying in England. Then again, he never really did expect to hear from them considering how computer illiterate his family was.

Donatello sighed once again. Although he felt nice and secure where he lived, he knew deep down that nothing good lasted forever. One day he would have to leave for the benefit of the rest of his species. 

*****

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A zoo in New York.

Leonardo winced in pain from his splitting headache as he began to wake up. Sitting completely still, he opened his tired eyes slowly before blinking them once or twice. Total darkness. Leo couldn't see a thing. His heart raced faster thinking over the possibility that he was blind, but a single tiny red power light obviously being emitted from some electronic device told him otherwise.

Finally coming around to his senses, Leonardo noticed that someone's arm and head was resting on his plastron. Immediately he knew that it was Diana; peacefully sleeping near him obviously for some much needed comfort. Trying not to disturb her, Leonardo reached forward, arm outstretched. A heavy sinking feeling entrapped his heart when he felt the cold smooth surface of glass. In an instant he knew where he was; back in the glass prison.

"Venus," he whispered into the pitch-blackness. There was no reply. "Venus?" he tried again, this time slightly louder.

"Dad?" a voice asked.

"Raph! Are you okay? Where's your mum?" Leo immediately recognised the boy's voice.

"Yeah I'm fine," replied a grumble. "Mum and Uncle Mikey are in another cell across the room. Last time I saw them they were still asleep. Then they turned the lights off…" Raphael started to ramble. "Dad?… What's happening?" the boy sounded both terrified and confused. "Is this where you were captured before?" he asked.

Leonardo sighed. "I think it is Raph," he answered glumly.

"How are we going to get out?" Raphael questioned worriedly.

"I don't know Raph."

"Are we gonna be okay?"

"I don't know Raph," Leo repeated. He listened as Raphael tried to move closer through the darkness only to succeed in tripping over Diana. The little turtle woke up with a start. She screamed and flailed her limbs around underneath the clumsy body of her half-brother. "Hey, hey it's okay. It's okay. Shhh," Leo soothed her when Raphael finally got up. As he stroked the face of his daughter, he could feel the tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Where's Mummy?" she cried. Leonardo hugged her closer while Raphael moved in to sit beside her.

"She's not here right now," Leo whispered his answer, feeling tears starting to swell in his own eyes.

"Why?" Diana sniffled. Leonardo didn't answer and instead slowly rubbed the turtle's carapace to soothe her. He knew the reason. It was obvious. Venus and Mike were together in their own cell. Yet unlike the last time something like this happened, Leo knew he could trust the two, but that didn't say that he trusted whatever the scientists were planning for the pair…

Leo wiped away a tear that was slowly traveling down his face, trying his best not to think of the worst case scenario. Still holding his daughter, he shifted his eyes to look at the only source of light in the room. Leo stared at the tiny red electronic power dot, not exactly wanting to fall back asleep yet, even though Diana was already starting to. All of a sudden, the dot disappeared. Leonardo furrowed his eyes in confusion; wondering firstly at what the device was, and secondly why it had abruptly turned off. A little while later, the red dot reappeared and continued to shine for the rest of the night.

*****

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New York. 4am.

Sarah stood outside the entrance of the zoo. As soon as she heard the news, she flew over to America, wanting to see what she could do. Yet when she finally arrived, all her plans seemed to disappear. What was she thinking? It'd be so obvious if she rescued the turtles during their first night of captivity. Sarah knew that it'd definitely be the end of her career. Her freedom. She doubted whether she'd get away with community service the second time around. No, it'd be straight to jail. 

There were so many holes in her rescue plan. The zoo's security had definitely increased since the last time she had visited, especially when they were holding the other animal anomaly; Silver. She had so much more to lose this time around. Sarah wanted to free them, yet with the thought of wasting her life in jail, and the fact that she could fail completely and still pay time behind bars, changed her perspective. 

She couldn't do it. It was as simple as that. A tear from her watery eye fell to the ground, knowing that she had just failed her best friends.


	15. The Haunting Past

Rene – I think it probably would be the Bronx Zoo, as I wrote in 'The Glass Prison' that where they were held was where they used to fight Dragon Lord and the Rank, and on TNM show that was the Bronx Zoo… But still, the zoo in this fanfic isn't based off any zoo in real life, nor should people believe that the zoos in New York are particularly evil! I also have nothing against zoos… I do volunteer work for one! Although zoos I this story might come across as being bad, it's mainly because it's being told through the eyes of the turtles.

Disclaimer: I don't own Mike, Leo, Don, Venus, Bonesteel, Silver and Raphael. Haven't done this in a while… This fic is rated for mild swearing (have I sworn yet?), adult and supernatural themes, and character death. 

Chapter 15: The Haunting Past.

Leonardo rubbed his eyes as the room's lights slowly began to glow in increasing intensity. Raphael and Diana hadn't moved from their positions beside him. Yawning, Leo gazed through the glass. Nothing much had really changed over the years. The metal control panel was still there, along with the four other glass cells. Looking closer within his own room, the adult curiously noticed the new trap door located in the ceiling. What was odd though, was the hatch was covered with thick, chunky wire, meaning that nothing could crawl both in or out of the cell. The sliding food tray was still there, along with the toilet.

Leo's eyes furrowed, wondering why on earth there was a flushing toilet. Maybe the scientists had studied their lair and adapted the cell accordingly before they were woken up that first time years ago. Maybe Bonesteel had tipped them off? But somehow Leo really doubted the latter thought. Still, the scientists knew from past experience that they were fully capable of using the toilet, so it would be pointless to remove it either way.

Leonardo looked in the direction of the glass prison cell opposite. Raphael had been correct in saying that Mike and Venus had been placed together. The two turtles were simply chatting to each other, though Venus quickly noticed her husband's gaze. Leo gave her a small smile and a wave, which Venus immediately returned, knowing how much he and the children were missing her already. The female then mouthed 'I love you,' while Mike joined in the silent conversations by mouthing 'don't worry'. Leo nodded his head, showing that he understood what they had intended to say. Remembering how hard it was to communicate, Leo sighed realising that it was going to be a very long day.

Removing his gaze from the pair, Leo stared at the prison attached to the very end of the room. He almost didn't recognise the talking primate inside. Silver had changed drastically, yet seemingly not for the better. His silver fur was shaggy and matted; long gone were his luxurious banana skinned coloured suits, being instead bare naked, though his silvery pelt was so long that nothing obtrusive could be seen. As Leo studied the ape's aging face, Silver locked eyes with him. There was so much coldness in his gaze that it chilled the turtle to the bone. His scruffy appearance only made him seem all the more wild and unpredictable. He looked insane… 

Leonardo remembered the day he heard of Silver's surprise capture. Yet that was years ago. Silver had been in solitary confinement for that whole amount of time. Leo knew that just after a week both Venus and Raphael started to become mentally weak under the same conditions. What scared the turtle more was the thought as to why the primate was being held in the same area as they were. He was no longer the regal and sophisticated ape Leo used to know. 

Leonardo broke off the continuous eye lock, not having the strength to look at Silver directly, yet all the same he couldn't look away. For the second time, Silver won the stare down. Not wanting to make eye contact with the intimidating beast again, Leonardo curiously searched for the red dot he had seen during the night. He found it in a matter of seconds. The red power light belonged to a security camera situated near the 'staff only' metallic doors. Leo's heart skipped a beat when he realised that his every movement was being taped.

Raphael finally began to stir from his long sleep, though when he subconsciously shifted his body, Diana ended up waking up too. The two children were both silent for a couple of minutes while they curiously looked around at their surroundings. Diana stared at the silver ape that she had seen the night before. She tugged on her father's arm. "Daddy… who, who is he?" she asked, innocently pointing to the furry creature at the end of the room. Raphael knew the answer, however he also didn't know too much about the intelligent ape.

"His name is Silver," Leo answered simply while looking at his daughter, preferring not to stare at Silver again. "He used to be an old enemy of ours," Leo added.

"How did he become an enemy?" Raphael asked curiously, always loving the old battle stories the adults would tell.

"Well… we first met Silver when your Mum, Mike and I were seventeen. See, back then, there was this unbelievable crime wave where one group of thugs would steal hundreds of dollars from banks and then cleverly use the sewers as their getaway route. Of course, the leader of this gang was Silver himself. Anyway, Donatello managed to calculate what two banks would be hit next, so we decided to stop them in the act. Their next target however, was a hidden American gold depository. Donatello figured out that Silver and his gang would have to run through our lair for their escape route to work, and obviously the police and FBI would follow them. So we decided to sneak into the targeted area first and prevent the robbery altogether," Leo summarised.

"So what happened?" Raphael questioned, wanting to know more.

"Well, it didn't go so well. Silver captured your mother and held her hostage by locking her in the vault with a bomb. Luckily, Donatello was good a cracking codes and managed to free her in time before the bomb exploded. Meanwhile, the rest of us chased Silver's gang and gave them a beating!" Leo said with a smile, remembering the good times. He chuckled to himself when he reminisced back to the second encounter with the anthropomorphic ape. 

"What's so funny?" Raphael asked, wanting to be clued in.

"Just thinking of the next time we fought Silver," Leo said with a smile.

"Tell," Raph demanded. Diana also looked to her father, wanting to hear another tale although she was too young to understand some of the details.

"Well, Silver managed to steal the winning lottery ticket off an old man, yet somehow the ticket got separated from him and ended up in the sewers. Mike then found it and we started to think about what we could do with the money-"

"How much was it?" Raphael interrupted.

"One hundred and twelve million," Leo answered coolly.

"…Woah," Raphael blurted out, trying to comprehend it.

"Is that a lot?" Diana asked with wonder.

"Yes," Leo answered simply. "Anyway, before we could do much, Silver managed to steal it back from us…" the turtle continued, conveniently leaving out the details of the embarrassing fight where Michelangelo got defeated by four guys wearing their underwear, and where he himself was degraded by the simplistic yet derogatory name of 'Greeny'. "…But we managed to sneak into his lair and steal it back, in the course of which Silver got both of his legs broken accidentally by one of his henchmen. He became really bitter about it… yet at the same time, it was quite funny," Leo finished, smiling at the memory of Silver having both of his legs cast in plaster and having to be wheeled around by his unintelligent goons. 

"So what happened to the money?" Raphael asked.

"We realised that we could never claim it, so Michelangelo returned the lottery ticket back to it's rightful owner," Leo sighed. He looked over towards Silver once more before looking back to the two children. "Silver was a different enemy though; he didn't let his life revolve around us. He just continued to steal things and we just continued to foil his plans for the benefit of society," Leo analysed.

The room was quiet for a couple of minutes. Leonardo watched on as Mike and Venus held their own conversation. "Dad… Why aren't Mum and Uncle Mike here with us?" Raphael asked when he followed Leo's gaze to the cell opposite. The turtle didn't really know how to answer the question.

"The scientists… They want your mother and Mike to be… alone…" Leo sighed as he explained in an inexplicit way, trying his best not to show how upset he really was. Yet Raphael managed to see through his emotional disguise, though he didn't really understand why he was so uneasy.

"You miss Mum, don't you?" Raphael asked timidly. Leonardo looked him straight in the eyes and nodded. 

"Of course I do. I miss Mikey as well. I wish we were all here together," Leo admitted softly. 

"I want Mummy here, 'cause, 'cause I want, I want to speak to her, and then we can go 'cause we're all here," Diana explained as best she could, showing her dislike of the glass prison by wanting to leave already. Leo gave her a small smile before picking her up and giving her a cuddle while she sat on his lap.

All of a sudden, Raphael figured out what Leo meant when he said that the scientists wanted Mike and Venus to be alone. "Is Mum gonna have another baby?" Raphael asked quietly. He knew enough about how babies were made from when Venus was pregnant with Diana, though some parts were still unclear. Raphael's response was only a fearful look.

"I… I really don't know," Leo whispered while staring across the room at the pair through his tearful eyes. 

*****

Silence filled the glass cell as Mike tried to think of something to talk about. Over the past four hours the two turtles had chewed over mindless topics such as celebrity gossip, cooking recipes, silly scenarios involving cartoon super heroes and even the morbid topic of what is the best way to commit suicide. Now it seemed that awkwardness had started to settle in the room, choking and drying up the conversation. 

Having nothing better to do, Venus sat in a half lotus position and began to meditate. Being socially cut off, Mike's eyes mindlessly wandered around the room. It wasn't long till he realised that this was the cell that Raphael had spent solitary confinement in. An eerie shudder traveled down his spine when he tried to think of what it must have been like. Slowly letting the fact get to him, Mike began to stare at the place where Raphael died; right beside the metallic control panel. His gaze didn't waver when the air started to feel denser as if another presence entered his subconscious mind. Mike was completely hypnotised by the death site of his deceased brother as though an unknown force compelled to keep staring. 

Michelangelo jumped in shock and yelped out loud when he saw him. The apparition only lasted a split second, but Mike could have sworn he saw Raph, his brother, standing there beside the control panel. His green skin, his brown eyes, his bullet hole wound… It seemed so real. Too real. Shuddering with a complete mixture of emotions, Mike continued to stare at the place hoping that he would reappear, wondering if it was just a figment of the imagination. But Raphael never did return.

"Mike?… Are you okay?" Venus asked worriedly after being disturbed from her meditation from Mike's uncontrollable yelp. The male turtle looked at her as though he'd just been snapped out of a trance. Venus simply stared back, wondering if and when he was going to answer. Mike looked to where he saw Raph before locking his eyes with Venus' again.

"…Venus… Do you believe in ghosts?" Mike asked slowly, still slightly shuddering. Venus gazed at him for a few moments to see if he was just fooling around, but Mike seemed too freaked out and nervous.

"Not really," she finally answered. Mike's eyes furrowed with confusion.

"But… I thought that out of all of us… you'd be the one to believe. You usually understand the supernatural. You used to lecture Donatello about it…" Mike wondered, still in disbelief about everything that had just happened a minute ago. 

"I believe in many things like the enlightenment of one's soul and the inner strength found in every living animal, yet… I've never really found something stable to believe in when it came to the afterlife," Venus explained.

"So… what do you think happens to us when we die?" Mike questioned, becoming curious and starting to doubt what he'd seen a minute ago. Venus smiled at him; quite pleasantly surprised that she would be having this conversation with Mike, as she usually talked about spirituality with Leonardo only.

"…I don't really know… I've always wondered though. At first I believed in karma and reincarnation, as that is what my Master Chung I believed in; using meditation to attain a higher plain. But when I grew older, I just became confused, as I could never figure out where I stood. Is this form the result of good or bad karma?… I still don't know… I then changed beliefs… tried Christianity…" Venus started to explain slowly and thoughtfully.

"What happened?" Mike questioned softly.

"I actually liked Christianity. I liked its simplicity of morals, yet at the same time it was so complex. So much meaning could be found behind every word of The Bible, that it was easy to see how there can be so many interpretations. I agreed with most of the religion, after all, most of it reflected the basic laws of society, but… when I read that heaven was a place for humans, I found myself losing faith. The whole point of believing in God is to gain a place in heaven… It just seems that there is no place on this earth or the next for our species…" Venus summarised sadly.

"I remember years back that Leo tried to be a Christian. Though, he found it ironic that with the Ten Commandments, he'd broken the one about not committing murder, yet he'd never lied and he always honoured his parents… Of course, he couldn't keep it up for long. Ninjitsu and Christianity don't really mix, especially when you've been raised your whole life to seek revenge," Mike said, telling Venus something about Leo she'd never heard before. "So… what do you believe in now?" Mike finally asked.

"Well… I found some inner peace through controlling my chi energy and through following the code of Bushido. It's the only thing I really can believe in strongly…"

Mike nodded to her response. "I just take every day as it comes. Live life to the fullest," he analysed. Venus smiled.

"I can tell," she said.

"Venus… do you think Raphael ever found true happiness?" Mike asked carefully. Venus was silent for a long time, thinking about the last moments she spent with him. That smile he produced before he slipped away…

"…He never stopped searching… Maybe he did…" Venus said softly, trying her best not to cry. Mike couldn't help himself and found a tear slowly emerging from the corner of his eye.

"…Have you ever gotten the feeling, that Raph's still watching over us?" Mike asked timidly, desperately wanting someone to believe and reconfirm what he'd seen. Once again Venus was silent. She knew what he meant. Sometimes she'd feel Raphael's presence, only a glimpse, before the feeling would disappear entirely, causing her to wonder if it was just a figment of her imagination.

"Mike… Sometimes the eyes see what the mind _wants_ to see…" she finally answered. Mike nodded slowly, still thinking about what she had said. He gave her a smile and started to wipe away the tears that were about to fall. Both deep in thought over what they had discussed, silence crept back into the glass cell. A few minutes later, the awkward tension filled the air once more as another topic of conversation couldn't be produced.


	16. The Past and Future

Pretender Fanatic – Yes, Venus was locked in a vault with a bomb, Mike did lose to four guys with no pants, and Leo was given the nickname Greeny by Silver. It all happened on the show. Silver was only in three episodes; the first was the bank one, the second was about the lottery ticket and the third was where Silver hypnotised Donatello to do his dirty work (I didn't include that last chapter 'cause only Raph and Don were featured, so naturally Leo wouldn't know about it!). As Leo said, Silver didn't revolve his life around defeating the turtles unlike Shredder and numerous others, and that's probably the reason why he isn't featured in any other fanfictions cause he doesn't do much. I made up the stuff about Venus, ghosts and Christianity though.

Mica – Trust me, Donny's just doing boring stuff… I think Venus feels resentment that humans can have souls while animals can't. She doesn't know what happens in the afterlife with her own kind, so it'll kind of be contradictory if she believes in humans ghosts, yet not turtle ghosts. Even when she feels Raph's presence, she's not sure whether it's real or not due to not having any religious confirmation when it comes to her species. Also I did it as a joke. On the show she believes in vampires, dragons, astral projection… yet she doesn't believe in ghosts! Hehe! Personally, I think she would believe in ghosts though. Depending on how you interpret it, maybe Venus has seen Raph though she doesn't want to tell Mike just yet…

With Raph, Leo probably told him that babies are made when two people love each other and are married, while Mike probably told him they are made when a guy and a girl get alone… He knows babies require a male and female, though he doesn't understand the science of it i.e. sperm and eggs. He's heard of sex, but he hasn't as of yet linked it to making babies, though he does know that scientists can somehow force animals to have children and probably heard that from his parents over the years when they were worried about being caught.

Chapter 16: The Past and Future.

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Two days later.

Leonardo smiled as he watched Raphael wrestle with Diana, glad that they could still find it in them to play and muck around. After some long minutes, Raphael managed to pin the feisty little three-year-old, but Diana retaliated by quickly placing one of his hands in a wrist lock. The boy yelped at the sudden pain and jumped back, wrenching his hand free. Leo couldn't help but smile, noticing how much Diana now preferred that move considering how precise and complex it was to execute.

Mind slowly wandering, Leo removed his gaze from the friendly childish sparring to look around the room in boredom. It didn't take long for him to start staring where Raphael had died. The graphic and disturbing images of the last few minutes of Raph's life came flooding back to Leo's mind. He couldn't help but stare and reminisce. His eyes never wavered when an eerie feeling swept over him, compelling him to keep looking. Totally wrapped up in his own emotions and subconscious wanderings, Leo didn't notice his adopted son's constant gaze in his direction. 

"Why do you keep looking there?" Raphael finally asked, snapping Leo out of his fixed state. Leonardo didn't know how to answer, wondering how long he'd been staring at the death zone. Becoming anxious by the silence, Diana wandered over to the food tray to try and fish out an apple to eat. "That's where he died, isn't it? That's where Raphael died?" Raph continued, wondering if he was correct or not. 

Leonardo stared at the boy with an astonished expression. "How… how do you know about Raphael?" Leonardo wondered, just knowing where the conversation was leading. His heart beat faster as Raph continued to pry for information.

"I heard you, Mum and Mike talk about him sometimes late at night when I was supposed to be asleep… I always thought you were talking about me, until about two years ago when you mentioned he was dead…" Raphael confessed, breaking Leo's eye contact to look at the ground in shame for eavesdropping all those years. Leonardo sighed, realising that the little pieces of the story that the boy had heard were starting to all come together. He knew that he had to come clean.

"You're right… That is where Raphael died," Leo admitted softly, turning his head to look back at the fateful spot. Diana timidly bit into her green apple, not really knowing what was happening, though she knew from their tones and silences that the topic of conversation was something important and serious. The adult feared the next question…

"Why am I named after him?" Raphael asked, brimming with curiosity. Leonardo took a deep breath, knowing that he couldn't wiggle his way out of this one. The truth had to be known. He couldn't lie straight to the boy's face.

"You're named after him because… because…" Leo started, trying to brace himself for what was about to happen. "…He's your father…" he finally let it out. Raphael simply stared back, extremely confused.

"But… but you're my father… Aren't you?" Raphael asked carefully with his mind scrambling for answers. The boy watched with disbelief as Leo slowly shook his head. Leonardo stared as Raph remained extremely silent for the next couple of minutes, slowly taking the news in. The boy tried his best to hold back his tears of anguish as he gradually thought over everything he'd heard over the years… He'd always wondered whose shell that was in Bonesteel's warehouse…

Sniffling, Raphael looked at Leo, then gazed at Diana who was quietly chewing her apple, seeking comfort from the motion of eating to escape the awkward tension she could sense in the air. "So… So Diana's not my sister?…" Raphael whispered the rhetorical question as a small tear escaped from his eyes. Diana took another bite and timidly twirled the apple in her hands, not completely understanding the enormity of everything that was taking place. 

"She's your half-sister…" Leonardo explained slowly in answer to his question. Raphael's face scrunched up as he let out a few heartbroken tears. Deeply saddened, Leo moved towards him to give him a hug, but the boy pushed him away. "Don't touch me!" he yelled, quickly turning angry. "You lied to me! You lied to me all these years!!" he screamed as some more tears dropped to the cold, hard floor. Raphael walked to the wall of the cell, sat down, and rested his confused and emotional head against the glass, appreciating its sleek coolness against his heated and angry skin.

Leonardo felt sorry for the boy. He needed time to think things through; be alone to deal with what he'd been told. But the glass prison prohibited him, and the turtle was forced to come to grips with his emotions there and then in front of Leo. All Leo could do was allow him the time to cry and suppress his anger.

Venus and Mike worriedly looked on in silence from across the room. Leo gave his wife a sad glance. 'I told him,' he mouthed to Venus. The female turtle nodded slowly, wishing she could be there to help. Leo watched as Venus relayed the information to a sorrowful Mikey.

Soon, Raphael began to calm down. The boy wiped his eyes quickly with the back of his hand. Leonardo simply waited for another inevitable question. "So… how did he die?" Raphael asked, gaining a more rational perspective.

"He was shot while trying to rescue us… He died with honour…" Leonardo said while moving towards the lonely turtle. Raphael allowed the adult to sit next to him.

"What was my dad like?" Raphael asked softly, still finding it unusual to call someone else his father.

"Raphael was very strong willed person. He was an awesome fighter and a very good brother… Don't know what I would have done without him…" Leo answered quietly. "You would have made him proud… I know that 'cause… I'm very proud of you. I know that you're not my son, but I still love and care about you deeply," Leo admitted, wrapping his arms around Raph's shoulders to bring him into a gentle hug.

"…Can I still call you 'Dad'?" Raphael asked worriedly. Leonardo simply smiled.

"Of course you can. I'd be honoured," he said humbly. 

"But… but you're not my real dad so…" Raphael started, not really knowing how to express what he wanted to say.

"That doesn't mean that you can't call me Dad. I called Master Splinter my father even though he wasn't related to me by blood. Mike and I aren't real brothers though I still call him that," Leonardo started to explain. "See, family isn't just people with a common ancestry. 'Family' can also mean a group of people who stick by each other through thick and thin, because they care and love one another deeply… So, it's still alright to call me Dad," Leonardo answered.

Raphael remained silent for another couple of minutes. Diana tenderly sat next to her father, not wanting to be left out as she continued to slowly eat her way through the large apple. Raphael finally asked another question to break the thoughtful and reflective silence. "Do you know who killed my father?" Raph asked before looking Leo in the eyes.

The adult cleared his throat. "We believe the man's name was Dr Samuel Welner…" Leo answered whilst remembering the scientists' name badge.

"Why did he shoot him?" Raphael demanded, starting to get angry again.

"They thought that he was a threat. Welner was frightened and acted on impulse…" Leo started. "Your father didn't die in vain… He tried to help us… and he's still helping us today," Leonardo explained, starting to look on the bright side.

"What do you mean?" Raphael questioned quietly, wanting to understand Leo's perception of thinking.

"Well… humans don't know a lot about us, especially how we work internally. You see… when your father died, his body was donated to research. If he hadn't, then the scientists might have hurt one of your children or your children's children. By giving them the information early, he's still saving us to this day…" Leo explained softly.

"Why don't humans understand!? We do nothing to them and they hurt us! Why is that!?" Raphael emotionally interrupted with anger.

"Raphael-"

"I hate humans!" the boy yelled. The tears that he'd wiped away before were quickly returning. "I hate them!" Raphael repeated. Leonardo sighed when he saw the same kind of hatred that had once resided in the boy's father. The adult began to feel guilty; blaming himself for the boy's anger towards humans, much like how Splinter did when he was raising the red hotheaded turtle.

"What about Sarah? She's a human yet she's nice… Not all humans are bad," Leonardo attempted.

"But most of them are! Why can't they just leave us alone?!" Raphael asked angrily, continuing to wipe away his tears.

"Because we're unique," Leo answered softly. Raphael remained silent for quite a while.

"Dad?…"

"Yes…"

"I want to avenge him…"

"Raphael… it doesn't make the pain go away…" Leo tried to convince him.

"But, but Master Splinter avenged his Master, Yoshi. And Mum avenged her Master, Chung I… Why can't I avenge my father?" Raphael questioned with confusion.

"Raph, revenge isn't always the answer. You'll understand that one day…" Leo hoped before giving the boy another hug. 

*****

__

The next morning.

Dr Yesmal and Dr Aquel both entered the glass prison room. After a quick check, Yesmal swiftly pressed a button on the control panel to release Silver into the grassy enclosure outside. The scientist noticed the reptiles' anxious expressions. Clipboards in hand, Aquel and Yesmal slowly walked further into the room to compile more observations. They stopped to stare into Venus and Mike's cell. 

"We haven't had much success with these two," Dr Yesmal said glumly. Dr Aquel followed Venus' gaze into the glass cell opposite and sighed.

"This isn't going to work," the female scientist admitted.

"Why not?"

"Because the female seems to be in… love with the blue male," Dr Aquel explained. The man scoffed at her theory almost immediately.

"Animals cannot love. That complex emotion has only been seen and achieved by humans and humans only," Dr Yesmal corrected her.

"And this is coming from the man who saw the 'turtle ghost'!" she teased. Dr Yesmal frowned, knowing what she was talking about. Just a week after the mutant turtles had first escaped years ago, Dr Yesmal had been staying back late at the zoo to work and study the reptile's DNA coding. However, on one such night when he was examining the deceased turtle's remaining collected DNA, he could have sworn that he saw the red adult male; if only for a split second before he disappeared entirely. Scared and worried, he talked to Aquel the next day about it, only to get a laugh in response.

"Hey, do you want to work in the mutation sector or not? You know, I can easily transfer you back to the Education Centre," Dr Yesmal playfully blackmailed. Aquel grumped in response. During the time when the turtles were missing, Dr Aquel was transferred to the zoo's Education Centre where she had to deal with school groups and tourist busses, as her expertise in mutations was obsolete. Dr Yesmal on the other hand, was returned to his old job of taking care of the rarer reptiles such as the Galapagos tortoises, exotic island lizards and some of the venomous snakes. Of course, things changed when Silver arrived as Dr Yesmal and Aquel's jobs were immediately reinstated due to their past experience with mutations. 

"Well… maybe they're a monogamous species. I mean, if the adult female can see the Alpha male, then why would she mate with the orange turtle; the Beta male?" Dr Aquel suggested, swiftly becoming serious again.

"Hmm… I know what you mean. But we need to widen the gene pool as much as possible. The blue male already has one offspring…" Dr Yesmal thought.

"So the little red male isn't related to the blue male?" Dr Aquel asked. The man shook his head. "Then who's the father?" she queried.

"Guess," Dr Yesmal invited with a smile, knowing the answer from comparative DNA.

"The orange male?"

"No."

"…The purple one?" Dr Aquel tried; knowing it was a long shot.

"No." The man still had a smile on his face.

"You mean… the red one. The one that's dead?" Dr Aquel realised. Dr Yesmal nodded. "Really? I didn't think they mated…" the female scientist questioned and wondered.

"Well they must have," Dr Yesmal stated the obvious.

"I suppose that's good then. As you said, it broadens the gene pool," Aquel thought positively.

"Yeah… But it still won't be enough. I guess that we should be thankful that we have three completely unrelated adults to begin with so that a second generation can be created with no problems. However it is the third generation of this species that I'm worried about. I'm afraid that inbreeding might be the only answer later on," Dr Yesmal suggested grimly. "It's a shame we don't have the purple male. He could have widened the gene pool of the species a bit more."

"So… they are their own species then?" Dr Aquel wanted to double check.

"Yes. I've compared their DNA to that of numerous turtles. Although they are the result of mutation, I feel as if they've deviated so much from the norm that one could adequately call them a separate species altogther, not a subspecies," Dr Yesmal explained and analysed.

"What's their species called then?" Aquel asked with curiosity.

"Yesmal's Turtle," Dr Yesmal grinned, proud that he registered the genetic discovery first so that he could name the reptiles after himself.

"I can see the resemblance," Dr Aquel rolled her eyes in sarcasm and slight jealousy. "Well how are we going to solve this genetic problem?" Dr Aquel asked, carrying on the conversation.

"Do you know that approximately ten thousand years ago, there was a genetic bottleneck with the cheetah? Some claim that the population was reduced to less than seven individuals, apparently only one was female," Dr Yesmal started.

"I think I've heard about it… How did they solve the problem?" Aquel asked, noticing that it related to the dilemma they faced with the turtles. Dr Yesmal simply shook his head.

"They didn't! The genetic variation is so limited that all cheetahs could be considered as being identical in DNA. Being inbred has also caused mutations to arise, like different coat patterning, sterility and diseases. Of course, this in turn affects the population size, as only one in twenty cubs will survive into adulthood due to the high chance of abnormalities… I'm afraid that these turtles will have to face the same problems in the long run," Dr Yesmal sighed.

"Can they _be_ anymore mutated?" Dr Aquel rhetorically asked with a lighthearted tone.

"Well… Yeah… So far all the mutations in this species have been beneficial. Don't forget that there are a lot of negative mutation effects as well. When inbreeding occurs, all the recessive genes come forward. So maybe we'll get an albino, or one suffering from hemophilia somewhere along the line," Dr Yesmal continued.

"Okay then. Obviously we need to breed as many combinations as possible before we begin to inbreed the turtles," Dr Aquel summarised.

"Well we can start by breeding the aqua female and the orange male together…"

"And how do you propose we do that?" Dr Aquel asked with curiosity.

"Maybe we'll just have to use artificial insemination," Dr Yesmal proposed.

"Has that been done on turtles before?" Dr Aquel asked.

"It has, but it's sometimes unsuccessful. But we won't know until we try, right?" Dr Yesmal said optimistically. "Then after that, the only unrelated male and female pair is the orange and white," he followed up, thinking of further possibilities.

"But the white female is way too young to be bred…" Dr Aquel pondered. "The little red male also won't be any use to us until he's reached puberty," she added.

"Yes, but unlike males, the egg sex cells are already developed, so we can still breed the white female. We could extract the cell, mature it with hormones, fertilise it artificially with the orange male's sperm, then implant it into the adult female," Dr Yesmal suggested.

"You mean surrogacy?" The female scientist questioned.

"Yes." The man answered simply.

"Will that work?"

"I don't know. It's never been done before. But we can always try. We have to increase their population as fast as possible as we don't know their life span. After that, we'll have to start inbreeding; starting off with the white female and the red male when he matures… But first, we should start planning the artificial insemination procedure with the adult female and orange male," Dr Yesmal said with determination.

"I could have the equipment ready by tomorrow," Dr Aquel said helpfully.

"Okay, then we'll do it tomorrow afternoon," Dr Yesmal finalised. After staring at the mutant turtles for a little while longer, he left the room to begin the preparation for the procedure.


	17. Old Acquaintances

A/N: * Yells at fanfiction.net * I'VE WAITED TO UPDATE FOR SEVEN HOURS!!! * kicks computer * Okay, I'm done ranting! :D This chapter was originally two separate chapters, but I felt that they didn't advance much plot wise by themselves, so that's why I combined them into one fairly big chapter. Don't really know when I'll update next, considering someone reminded me the other day that my exams are two weeks away… Anyway, happy reading!

Chapter 17: Old Acquaintances. 

__

The next day.

Dr Aquel's eyes scanned across the operating theatre. Clipboard in hand, she ticked off the listed items before sighing to herself in relief. The scientist smiled to herself in satisfaction, knowing that the important artificial insemination procedure could finally take place. She took a deep breath, thinking through the pros and cons. After doing one more check, Dr Aquel decided to inform Dr Yesmal that the room was ready. Excited by the news, the scientist made his way towards the glass prison area.

*****

"Um… I would kill Spiderman, befriend Wolverine… uh… sleep with Superman… and marry Batman," Venus finalised, answering the comic book hero scenario that Mike started playing out of boredom. 

"Why Batman and not Superman?" Mike questioned her choices. Venus gave him a 'duh' facial expression.

"Batman's a multimillionaire while Superman's only a reporter. You share the wealth if you marry Batman," Venus replied casually.

"Ah… Sneaky," Mike said slyly, shaking his finger at her. "Now do a scenario for me!" he begged. Venus groaned, wondering how many times the turtle wanted to play the game. Sighing, she racked her brain trying to think of four female cartoon characters.

"Okay…" she came up with one. "Out of Catwoman, Wonder Woman, Batgirl and… let's say Elektra from Daredevil, who would you kill, befriend, sleep with and marry?"

"I'd sleep with Wonder Woman," Mike said, almost without even thinking. "And then… I'd have to kill Batgirl… Of course, the only problem with that is that your millionaire husband will be chasing after me," Mike said with a smile. Venus only rolled her eyes. "Then… I'd befriend Elektra and marry Catwoman," he finished his answer.

"…Why Catwoman?" Venus wondered out of curiosity.

"Well… Catwoman seems to be the type of chick who would just curl up at the end of the bed and sleep… I really wouldn't mind that in a wife," Mike answered, earning himself a very weird look from Venus. "Never mind," he added with a cheeky smirk. Venus remained silent while Mike cunningly thought up of another scenario.

"Okay… Out of Dragon Lord, Shredder, Bonesteel and Silver-"

"-Oh no," Venus interrupted, knowing the game had just been brought to a whole new level.

"-Who would you kill, befriend, sleep with and marry?" Mike finished the question with another one of his cheeky smiles.

"That's unfair!" Venus protested.

"Oh c'mon! It's only a game. It's all just theoretical," Mike tried to convince her. The female turtle sighed, knowing that whatever she answered, Mike would inevitably tease her. "You can choose a hard one for me afterwards…" Mike pressured. A sly smile spread across Venus' mouth.

"Okay then," she obliged. "Let's see… I would kill Dragon Lord as he killed Chung I," she started.

"Yeah, I understand that," Mike supported her decision. 

"Then… I'd befriend… Bonesteel?" Venus answered uncertainly, though she knew that she didn't want to marry or sleep with the hunter.

Mike couldn't help but giggle. "Good luck with that!" he joked.

Venus gave him a little smile before sighing when she realised who she had left to choose from. "Um… I'd sleep with… Shredder and marry Silver," she answered slowly with a disgusted expression on her face. Michelangelo immediately burst into a fit of laughter.

"I…" he started to say, but couldn't due to the fact that he was giggling so hard. "I don't know what's more disturbing!? You sleeping with Shredder, or you marrying that nut case over there!" Mike finally managed to say in-between his hoots of laughter, while pointing to Silver in his glass cell. 

"See! I knew you'd act like this!" Venus accused, crossing her arms in frustration.

"But Silver!!?" Mike asked in bewilderment. 

"Silver's got more jewels and riches than Shredder," Venus answered simply. Mike just stared back, surprised at how many times she'd admitted to marrying just for the money. "Alright. Now for my question," Venus started, wanting to stop the discussion about her earlier choices. Mike gave her an uncertain glance, at which Venus sneakily smiled. "If April was still alive, and if I wasn't with Leo; out of April, Sarah and me, who would you choose?" 

"Now _that's_ unfair!" Mike complained. Venus simply shrugged indifferently.

"Well, you did have me marrying Silver… not to mention Shredder…" Venus pressured.

Michelangelo was silent for a rather long time, causing Venus to raise an eye-ridge in curiosity. She really thought he'd just pick Sarah… "Mike?… I thought you liked Sarah?…" Venus stated when she realised that Mike was never really going to answer. The turtle sighed.

"I don't know if she really likes me though…" Mike said softly. "I guess I'm kind of scared to tell her how I feel," he worried. Venus' facial features softened, knowing how shy Mike could be at times. "…Venus… I really need to ask you something that's been bothering me for quite a while…" he asked softly.

"What is it?" Venus questioned, wondering what it was he wanted to ask.

"Why… why did you choose Leo over me?" The turtle asked so quietly that Venus didn't think she heard him correctly at first.

"Mike-" Venus started to protest but Michelangelo interrupted her.

"-Please. I… I just want to know what I'm doing wrong," Mike explained further. Venus sighed, knowing that whatever she said, he still wouldn't be satisfied.

"I just… I wanted someone who seemed more serious…" she started with uncertainty.

"So you went completely to the other side of the 'fun spectrum', did you?" Mike retaliated sensitively. Deep down, he knew what she meant. He joked around too much and sometimes, when he was sincere, he wouldn't be taken seriously. Mike didn't know how to progress the relation and make his partner see the other side of his personality. It happened with April, it happened with Venus, and now it looked like the same had happened with Sarah.

"Mikey, I didn't mean it like that. You and I… I just wanted someone who I could relate to more. That's all…" Venus admitted softly.

"Venus… You know what the scientists want us to do…"

"Of course I do…" she whispered. Both turtles turned their head and observed Dr Yesmal entering the room. After a quick glance, the scientists pushed a button on the control panel. Immediately after, the white sleeping gas began to filter into the glass cell from the vent located in the side of the wall. Mike and Venus lowered to the ground, wanting to stay conscious for as long as possible. 

"Venus…" Mike managed to say amongst a fit of coughs. "If something happens with us… I'm sorry…" With that said, both turtles slipped into a deep and unconscious slumber.

*****

Leonardo, Raphael and Diana looked over at the other glass cell with worry. When the white gas began to clear, Diana gasped with fright when she saw her mother and Mike unconscious on the floor. The two scientists stood in the room and waited for another couple of minutes, talking idly to each other to pass the time. 

After they left, it didn't take long for them to reappear inside Venus and Mike's cell. A few more words were exchanged before the two turtles were removed. "Where… where are they taking Mummy and and Uncle Mikey?" Diana asked with a quivering voice. Leo looked downwards at his daughter and could instantly tell that she was close to crying. Not knowing how to answer, Leonardo avoided the question by simply giving his daughter a hug.

The adult's calming embrace was disrupted when Raphael began to punch the glass out of frustration. Leo watched in silence as Raphael backed up before running forward to execute a strong kick. Like always, the glass showed no signs of breaking. "Raphael…" Leo started, wanting him to calm down. Instead, Raph plunked himself on the ground as a signal that he'd given up.

"What are they going to do to them?" Raphael asked quietly, his voice on the verge of shaking. 

"I don't know…" Leo answered softly. The fact that the adult was so uninformed made the two children nervous; Diana hugged her father even tighter for comfort and reassurance. 

"I want to get out of here," Raphael spoke whilst curled up in a ball, chin on his knees. 

"We all do," was all Leo replied.

Hours past and Venus and Mike were still missing. Leo tried to hope for the best, yet his fears started to creep in, making the children feel unnerved as well. Soon, just when the lights were due to turn off, the two scientists appeared at the staff door.

*****

"I'd say the operation was a success," Dr Yesmal smiled as he stood inside the glass prison room with Dr Aquel by his side. 

"But we should check up on the female from time to time to see if she'll miscarry," Dr Aquel reminded him.

"Naturally," he answered simply as though he could never be wrong. "Are we ready to move the aqua female and the orange male back in with the other turtles?" he questioned.

"Yeah. The anesthetic should wear off in about an hours time when it's dark," the female scientist confirmed.

"Alright then. Can you phone the reptile handling staff while I sedate the blue male?" Dr Yesmal asked. Dr Aquel simply nodded. With a quick smile, they both set out to complete their selected tasks.

*****

Leonardo eyed the two chatting scientists cautiously and sighed with relief when they finally left. Yet it wasn't long till Leo and the children saw Dr Yesmal again. Two minutes after both scientists had disappeared, Dr Yesmal removed the lid of the mysterious trap door in the ceiling of their glass cell before pointing the barrel of a tranquilizer dart gun towards the turtles through the thick metal wiring. Leo madly looked around for somewhere to hide, but there was no such place. While Dr Yesmal loaded his gun, Leo figured that they didn't simply use the sleeping gas as Raphael and Diana would be effected differently due to their age and size.

Nevertheless, Leo wasn't going to make it easy for the human either. With Raphael taking care of Diana for the time being, Leo stood in a ready stance when the gun was aimed at him. A tranquil was fired, and, to the scientist's surprise, the sedative projectile was caught harmlessly in Leo's hand. The turtle sneered and threw the dart aside while Dr Yesmal angrily reloaded. He fired again, only to get the same result. Another tranquil was thrown to the floor by the blue wearing turtle. 

Getting annoyed and restless, Dr Yesmal shifted positions and aimed again. Leo remained in his ready stance. Yet before the gun was fired, the human swiftly aimed for the turtle's leg, making the reptile unable to block it in time. A smile swept across the human's face as Leonardo became more lightheaded with each passing second. "I always get my way," Dr Yesmal taunted from his secure location before covering up the trap door in the roof once more. 

*****

__

Sydney, Australia.

Smoke wafted and filled the air, being blown in from the major bush fires located in Sydney's far south. Although it was winter, the drought made the bush land surrounding the city dry and brittle, making it the perfect target for lightning and arsonists. Fire truck sirens could be heard on the smoky winds, creating an eerie atmosphere. Though the distant noises and smells didn't bother one certain creature.

Donatello tugged his trench coat tighter around his body as another smoky cool breeze swept through the concrete wind tunnels of the city. Under his fedora, Don glanced around to look at his surroundings. It was a Sunday and no one was to be seen. The city was rather deserted; most likely because everyone wanted to avoid breathing in the smoke drenched air. Still, it made Donatello nervous as it would never have been this quiet in New York. Though he didn't necessarily miss the bustle or the excitement of the Big Apple, as there was enough of the American culture found in Australia to feel almost at home, and Sydney provided the relaxing atmosphere that he longed for so much.

Hands in his pockets, Donatello briskly turned the corner and began to walk through the concrete courtyard that was Martin Place. The turtle turned his head to see if anyone was coming up the steps from the train station beneath the city, before taking a quick sip of water from a nearby fountain that was there for aesthetic purposes. Donatello sneezed as the smoky air was slowly getting to him. He really wanted to find some food soon. 

Shrinking his head further into the collar of his trench coat, Donatello began to walk down the nearest street. A fair couple of metres along, the turtle reached a café. He noticed that most of the occupants were inside, though some of the tables outside were not cleared and cleaned as there were remnants of peoples lunches still lying there. That's when he spotted an untouched sandwich on someone's discarded plate. Using his ninja stealth, Donatello calmly walked forward and sneakily pocketed the food. He'd been lucky today as he usually had to eat the scraps found in dustbins or dangerously steal something from a store. 

With his lunch safely secure in his trench coat, Don looked around before lifting a nearby storm drain grate in order to slip below unnoticed. The turtle trudged through the dry leaf litter for about a block until he came across his Hog. Revving up the engine, Don sped through the familiar storm drains until he reached his lair. 

It was midday when he arrived home, so he settled himself on the floor to watch Jerry Springer on television while devouring his stolen sandwich. However Donatello only made it to the ad break before he felt too depressed to continue watching. He didn't know what was wrong with him lately, but he seemed to feel lonelier than usual. Don noticed that he thought about Venus a lot more these days. He didn't know why, but he figured it was because he now knew that Venus had had another child, meaning that she'd moved on with life. It bothered him that he didn't know whether Leo or Mike was the father of the new infant. …It bothered him that he never really had a chance with Venus… Don constantly wondered if he would ever find love, yet now with Venus seemingly taken, the possibility only became further away…

The turtle sighed and shook his head. Chewing the last of his sandwich, Donatello grabbed a notepad and a pen in hopes of figuring out an escape plan. After ten minutes of biting on his pen lid out of frustration, the turtle still had nothing. His fears of leaving were still deep inside his soul. Don sighed, knowing that now was the worst time to have writer's block. His mind went through all the possibilities of entering and exiting the zoo, yet each plan he came up with had the possibility of failing miserably. Donatello sighed once again. _'Where's Leo when you need him?'_ Don wondered as he tried to come up with another mediocre plan. 

*****

__

A zoo in New York, nighttime.

Venus groggily began to stir from her dreamless sleep. She blinked her eyes twice before realising that she was in total darkness. Venus swallowed some saliva after noticing how sore and dry her throat was from the oxygen tube, which was forced down her windpipe when she was operated on. After slowly gaining back all five of her senses, she started to cautiously move around the glass cell, though she didn't get too far before she bumped into a figure. 

Venus knew immediately that it was Leonardo, judging from the feel of his skin and his natural scent. "Venus?" Leo asked with a whisper in a state of disbelief.

"Leo?" Venus whispered back using the same skeptical tone. The female could almost hear Leo's grin. Caressing her face with his hand, Leo pulled Venus in for a passionate kiss, completely exhilarated to be with each other once again. As the kiss deepened, the two turtles subconsciously shifted their bodies so that Venus ended up straddling Leo's thighs. They stopped for a second, simply enjoying the company of one another. "Is anyone else in here?" Venus whispered her question, wanting to continue and follow her natural instincts.

"I… I don't know. It was dark when I regained consciousness," Leo whispered back. After a moment of thought, Leo leaned forward to kiss Venus again, quickly letting one thing lead to another; completely ignoring the video cameras in the corner of the room that recorded their every move…

*****

__

New York, Empire State Tech. The next morning.

Sarah walked through the large front doors to her old university; Empire State Tech. She tiredly wiped her eyes and looked at the heavy clumps of paper that made up her thesis about the ninja turtles, which she was unable to complete years ago due to her run-in with the law. 

After spending days in New York fretting about how she was going to free her friends, Sarah decided to look back into her past and revive the biology assignment she was trying to complete when she had first met the turtles. It took a number of late nights to gather together her old notes and observations, but in the end it was worth it, as now it was a well written thesis that theoretically proved that the ninja turtles were in fact intelligent beings, possibly more so than the chimpanzee. 

Sarah took a deep breath as she began to walk down the familiar corridors of her youth. She knew that her extensive paper was way overdue, but she needed someone to read her results. Naturally she couldn't include everything she wanted to say about the overgrown reptiles as she didn't want to be arrested again for not informing the proper authorities when they were in England. 

Climbing the last step to the second floor, Sarah only had to complete a short walk to the head biology lecturer's staff room door. Her heart beat faster as she knocked on the wooden barrier, not really knowing what she was going to say. Sarah could only gasp in shock at who answered the door.

"May I help you?" Dr Welner inquired, staring into the lady's strangely familiar face. All of a sudden it clicked. "Sarah Watson I presume," he guessed correctly.

"Dr Welner," Sarah stated, still slightly in surprise. "Are you the head of the Biology department?" she asked with curiosity.

"Yes, I am," he answered simply. Dr Welner sighed when he saw that Sarah wanted more information. "You old lecturer resigned, so since I was available at the time, I was offered the job; considering I am the head scientist of this scientific field in New York," he answered in a more informative way, making sure he promoted himself in the process.

"But I thought Dr Quease was the top scientist in the state?" Sarah wondered if her facts were right.

"Well yes… but… Dr Quease is a little too… radical in his techniques and ideals. No science organisation will go near him…" Dr Welner answered, pointing out the problems of one of the many old enemies of the turtles. "So, Sarah. What brought you here?" the man asked suspiciously. 

Sarah gestured towards the large thesis in her hand. "I know it's very late but… I want to hand in the biology assignment I was working on before I was arrested," Sarah explained.

"Is that about those turtles?" Dr Welner asked, becoming disinterested. He didn't really want to have anything to do with them anymore. 

"It is," Sarah answered while handing her work over. The man started to close the door, but Sarah blocked it. "Please, just read it," Sarah pleaded. Dr Welner gave her a nod, though he still gave her the impression that he wasn't interested at all. When the door closed, Sarah sighed, knowing that there was nothing much else she could do about the situation. She turned to leave the university hoping that something good will come of her friends.

*****

__

Back at the zoo.

Leonardo slowly opened his eyes when the cell's lights gradually illuminated the room. He smiled and sighed to himself when he found Venus still lying calmly in his arms. Looking around, his smile only grew wider when he realised that the whole family was back together again. 

Leo didn't have to wait long till Mike and Venus both woke up. With a large grin, Mike greeted Leo with a strong and brotherly hug. "I missed you Mike," Leo said.

"Why? Couldn't handle the kids on your own?" Mike replied cheekily. Leo could only smile back and gave him another quick hug for good measure. Mike was about to say something else, but was stopped when he saw Raphael starting to stir from his sleep. "How's my little man?" Mike greeted happily.

The boy was wide-awake in an instant. Raphael tackled Mike to the ground out of excitement, and soon after, a friendly wrestling match had started. Grinning at their playful antics, Venus made her way over to her sleeping daughter. With a gentle touch, Venus caressed the little turtle's face with her hand, knowing how much she missed her. Soon, Diana's eyes fluttered open, and immediately the three-year-old gave her mother a hug. "You're, you're here!" Diana stated, though her voice was muffled as her head was buried in Venus' loving arms. 

"Of course I'm here," Venus reassured her. "Have you been a good girl for Daddy?" she asked with delighted tone. Diana nodded meekly in response. Venus grinned and gave her a kiss on the forehead. The two females looked towards Mike and Raph who had only just stopped sparring. Venus extended an arm out to Raphael as a signal that he could join the family hug, but the boy didn't move. 

"Dad told me about my father…" Raphael started.

"I know…" Venus uttered, not really knowing what else to say. "… I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner, or that I wasn't here at the time you were told…" Venus started to apologise.

"It's not your fault," Raphael reasoned in a rational way. Stepping forward, the boy accepted his mother's offer for a hug. "I love you Mum," Raphael admitted.

"I love you too," Venus said, almost on the verge of crying upon hearing those words of forgiveness. Wiping away a little tear, she spotted Diana once again. "I love both of you," she added, making the two children smile with appreciation.

*****

__

Later that afternoon.

"What was it you wanted me to see about?" Dr Aquel inquired when she entered the surveillance room. Dr Yesmal said nothing and instead gestured her over towards the small television that was currently playing a video.

"Look what the blue male and the aqua female got up to last night," Dr Yesmal enticed. Dr Aquel walked forward and started to watch the video as well. "They have a very obscure mating position… It's a lot like a human's actually. Maybe because they're anthropomorphic, they can't mate the normal way a turtle does," Dr Yesmal hypothesised. 

"Don't you… find this kind of… disturbing?" Dr Aquel asked, not knowing whether they should be watching this. Dr Yesmal gave her a blank look.

"They're only animals," he reminded her. Dr Aquel just gave him an uneasy stare. She checked her watch and almost sighed out loud with relief when she realised it was nearly closing time.

"I'm going to go home now," she informed him, desperate to find an excuse so that she could leave.

"Oh okay," was all Dr Yesmal said as he continued to study the videotape. 

"Do you want me to lock some of the doors for you?" 

"No. I think I might stay back late tonight," Dr Yesmal replied casually as he scribbled down a few observations from the tape. Aquel just made a noise to indicate that she understood, before she backed out of the room. She sighed as she left the building, knowing that Dr Yesmal was starting to become obsessed with the creatures. She had to agree that they were fascinating, but she didn't want every aspect of her life to revolve around them. Tired, Dr Aquel entered her car and vacated the zoo's staff parking lot, hoping to be able to make it home quickly. She didn't get her wish.

The female scientist rubbed her headachy temple with a hand as she drove through some rough traffic on the roads. Sighing in annoyance that she wasn't really getting anywhere, she decided to visit an old hangout where she could wait for the traffic to die down. 

Handbag in hand, Dr Aquel entered a popular café located in the middle of a block of tall buildings. She smiled as she smelled the familiar aroma of the place. Dr Aquel looked around at all the university students that were having a quick refreshment to boost their weary minds. The scientist remembered when she used to be one of them; studying madly for the veterinary science course exams at Empire State Tech while gulping down litres of coffee. Although most of the customers were college students in their early twenties, there were still some older citizens found amongst the booths. One of them caught her eye.

"Mind if I sit?" Dr Aquel asked the man. Dr Welner simply smiled at her. The female sat down soon after. They had met before at the café from time to time, but it wasn't really a frequent occurrence.

"How's life?" Dr Welner asked.

"Alright. Wish I could say the same for Yesmal though…"

"Getting obsessed is he?" Dr Welner inquired.

"How did you know?" Dr Aquel wondered in astonishment.

"He's always been like that," Dr Welner answered nonchalantly. The man grabbed a pen and paper out the large folder he'd been carrying while Dr Aquel ordered a drink from a passing waitress.

"What's that?" she asked out of curiosity.

"Just some papers that I have to mark," Dr Welner answered as though it was the most mundane thing in the world.

"Is that a paper as well?" Dr Aquel asked, pointing to the one that was already on the table's surface.

"Actually, that one's from Sarah Watson. She gave it to me this morning. You remember her, don't you?" Dr Welner asked.

"How could I forget?" Dr Aquel scowled slightly. "Why did she give it to you? I thought she didn't live in New York anymore?" she asked.

"I don't know. She just wanted me to read it. It's about those turtles though," Dr Welner said, showing his disinterest in the subject.

"Mind if I take a look?"

"You can keep it if you want. I'm not going to do anything with it," Welner said as he continued to mark the paper he was reading.

"Sure?" She asked just in case. The man only nodded. "Thanks," Dr Aquel accepted. She folded up the thick wad of paper and placed it in her handbag for safekeeping.

*****

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At the zoo. 6am next morning.

Dr Aquel yawned as she stared at the creatures trapped in their glass prisons. Dr Yesmal soon joined her, though he looked even more tired than she did. "What time did you go home last night?" Dr Aquel wondered. 

"Um… I didn't," Dr Yesmal admitted with a slightly sheepish grin. Dr Aquel couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Anyway, I called you here early this morning because I want to introduce that ape to the turtles so that they can eventually share the same enclosure. Now to do this, we're going to release the ape outside and then we're going to open the turtle's door only slightly, so the two creatures can get used to each other's scent and presence," Dr yesmal explained.

"But won't the ape be territorial?" Dr Aquel asked.

"Well… there's only one way to find out. But if anything does go wrong, I'll be waiting outside with a tranquil. I want you to stay in here so you can tell me if anything unusual happens with the turtles," the man explained further. "Here," he offered Dr Aquel one of the two walkie-talkies he'd been carrying. "We have to close the turtle's doors before the public enter the zoo, so the quicker we get ourselves organised, the more exposure the two animals will have of each other," Dr Yesmal finalised. Dr Aquel could only nod in response to his commands.

*****

Mike curiously watched as the female scientist pressed a button to release Silver into the enclosure outside, though he was confused as to why she was doing that so early. The turtle then jumped in fright when their own door started to open, but it stopped when it was only an arm's width apart. By now, the whole family was up on their feet, quite scared that they didn't know what the scientists were planning. No one really liked the fact that Silver was outside roaming around. 

Leonardo herded the two children away from the partly open door, wanting to make sure where Silver was first. Mike and Venus also backed away, wanting to keep their distance from the dangerous gap. All fell silent as they tried to listen to Silver's whereabouts, but nothing could be seen or heard. All of a sudden, Diana stepped away from her father and walked over to the door; her own curiosity getting the better of her. "Diana, get back here!" Leo called and attempted to pull her back, but he was too slow.

From seemingly out of nowhere, Silver appeared at the door to their cell. Quick as lightning, the ape reached in and grabbed Diana with an arm The little turtle squealed in terror as the ape continued to hold on, screeching incoherent angry phrases at the adult turtles. Instinct kicking in, Leonardo stepped forward and faced Silver directly, trying his best to unlock Silver's hold on his daughter. "Let go of her!" Leo demanded angrily. Silver responded by savagely spitting him in the face, before returning to snarling like an insane primate. 

Diana squealed as Silver held on tighter. Becoming ticked off, Leonardo punched Silver square in the jaw, but the ape managed to keep his hold on Diana. All froze when a gunshot was heard. Half a minute later, Silver slid to the ground in unconsciousness. Diana freaked out and wriggled herself out of Silver's grasp, before jumping into Leo's open arms. "What's happened to him?…" Mike asked, quite speechless after what he had seen. All the turtles stared at the unconscious life form. Leonardo shuddered as he continued to hold his daughter. He'd never seen Silver react that way. He was so… wild. It scared him that he no longer knew his enemy.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Leo admitted as Diana cried in his arms. 


	18. Donatello's Wild Misadventure

A/N: I'm dedicating parts of this chapter to Taronga and Western Plains Zoo, for allowing people to participate in the helping and caring of animals and the environment, and for setting up a great youth program. Without them, I wouldn't have come up with most of the story line, nor would I have a clue on how zoo's work. If your local zoo offers a youth or volunteer program, then sign up, 'cause it's a very rewarding experience. 

Okay, now I really don't know when I'm going to update next! The earliest could be next Friday, the latest could be the weekend after exams, hence three weeks away. 

Rene – You'll find out why the scientists want the TMNT and Silver in the same enclosure later… if I remember to include it…

Pretender Fanatic – I actually made up all the three scientist's names in less than two minutes! They're based on a stream on consciousness really. Though I do believe that my sister has a friend called Sarah Watson though…

Ellie ET – Do you want me to email the chapters to you, or are you fine with using your brother's computer? 

Mica – I think Silver's been imprisoned, isolated and alienated for nearly four years now. And yes, those grammatical errors bug me too. I know the last three chaps have been pretty shocking, 'cause I wrote them around 10:30 pm to midnight… and what's worse, I double-checked them around that time as well, when my brain was slowly dying on me. I plan to fix up all of my stories… one day… when I'm bored… and when I have time…

With the door, it was open an arm's width (upper arm, not forearm), so about 4 inches… * checks a ruler * Okay, a fat arm's width! Anyway, in order for Silver to reach in and grab Diana and hold her up against the door, he would have had to use his whole arm, so his shoulder and face would be right up squeezing through the crack of the door. So yeah, his face was partially through the door, which made it easier to aim and spit Leo in the face, and for Leo to punch him back. Although Leo's fist may be wider than 4 inches, he still could have rotated his fist 90 degrees and punch sideways. Also, he's a ninja, and you'd expect Leo to have excellent aim.

Chapter 18: Donatello's Wild Misadventure.

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Sydney, Australia.

Donatello sighed as he read over the escape plan he'd just written. He grumped when he found a major flaw and quickly scribbled over his idea out of frustration. Don's constant brainstorming was getting him nowhere. Listening to his growling stomach, the turtle yawned before giving up on constructing a plan for the time being. Donatello rubbed his eyes and checked his watch to observe the time. It was the early hours of the morning. Time to go out and grab something to eat. 

After groggily putting on his trench coat and slapping on his fedora, Donatello slowly hopped on the Hog and revved up the engine. His stomach growled once again out of desperation and hunger. Sighing, Donatello rounded a few secluded underground tunnels, not really paying attention to the rather mundane task of driving through the storm drains towards the quiet moonlit streets. However, the turtle snapped to attention when he turned around the next fateful corner.

There, in the middle of the tunnel, was one of the American alligator snapping turtles that Donatello had frequently bumped into over the many years of living underground. Not wanting to run over the slow moving creature, Don made a split second decision and swerved instead. With the loose leaves on the ground preventing the motorcycle from braking, Donatello accidentally drove partly up the curved wall of the tunnel; the Hog's tires slipping and skidding on the smooth surface. Before he knew what was going on, Donatello found himself on the ground with a few heavy bruises and a headache. 

Groaning to himself, Donatello looked up the tunnel and sighed with relief when he saw the rare snapping turtle still alive and well. Turning his head the other way, Don observed the bike that now lay a couple of meters away; it's wheels still turning from the momentum of the crash. Donatello groaned once again and rubbed his head, knowing that his night couldn't get much worse. Yet he was wrong.

Donatello shakily stood up and slowly stumbled over towards befallen transport; trudging through the thick layer of leaves as he went. "Damn it!" The turtle cursed and hopped when a sharp pain traveling through his left foot. Looking down, Don's heart almost stopped when he realised he'd just been bitten by a snake. Eyes growing wide with alarm, Don stepped back from the reptile. He stared as the snake slowly slid into a non-threatening pose, although it still kept a wary eye on him. 

Donatello had heard on the news that snakes and other small animals were retreating underground due to the drought depleting available water resources. The creature had probably slithered into the storm drains to avoid the sweltering heat and to feast on the many sewer rats that had also found a new home in the concrete tunnels. He had most likely startled the snake, causing it to attack purely on defense. 

Donatello fretted as he observed the two small puncture wounds on his left foot. Panicking, the turtle tried to recognise the species of snake he'd been bitten by, yet he didn't really know anyway. Fearing that it might be a venomous animal, Donatello hurriedly took off his purple bandanna and tightly wrapped it around his knee in hopes of slowing the spread of the poison. He tried to calm himself down so he could work out a plan. Don knew that the hospital around Martin Place where he was the other day when he got lunch had remedies and cures for snakebite. However, because he didn't know the species, getting an antidote would be useless. 

Rapidly thinking a little while longer, Donatello figured that the zoo located around the North Shore area of Sydney would store an antidote to his bite, while at the same time, he could identify the snake that attacked him by either looking through the exhibitions or by flipping through some of the research books that were kept nearby. It was a long shot, but Donatello feared the alternative decision of doing nothing about it. 

Carefully walking the rest of the way to the Hog, Donatello nervously hopped back on and continued to drive through the tunnel. It only took a minute before he reached the highway where he joined the rest of the very early morning traffic. He took in a deep breath to slow his fluctuating heartbeat, knowing that if he was indeed poisoned, the rate of his blood flow would determine how long he had left to live. 

The turtle drove over the smooth city roads, getting closer to his destination with every second that passed. His mind was so smothered with worries and fears that he almost forgot where he was going. Don haphazardly changed lanes at the last possible second and continued driving onwards through the city on another road. He bit his lip with uneasiness when he thought whether or not he should take the tunnel or the bridge. If he took the Sydney Harbour tunnel, he would get to the zoo quicker, yet if there were a holdup, he'd be stuck in there with no easy way out. He also disliked the fact that there are security cameras filming everything that happens.

With much indecision, Donatello changed lanes once again and headed towards the large Sydney Harbour Bridge. He froze with terror when he realised he'd forgotten about the toll that had to be paid. Since he couldn't turn around, Donatello had no other choice but to drive straight through. A photo was taken of his license plate two seconds later. Don smiled and giggled with amusement when he thought of what the Roads and Traffic Authority would think if they saw the photo of the Hog with the New York number plate, NJATRTL riding around the streets of Sydney. 

Donatello tried to stay calm once again. Driving across the Harbour Bridge, or the Coathanger as some Australians fondly called it, he observed a train glide past on one of the two tracks that was included in the massive structure. Wind whipping through the bandanna tails tied around his knee, the turtle had to raise a hand to make sure his fedora didn't fly off from the moderate breeze. It was a clear and peaceful night, though it still didn't quell Don's anxiety and fear. 

After driving up and down the many steep roads, Donatello finally made it to the quiet and closed zoo located on the North Shore. His leg ached from the lack of blood it was receiving. Dismounting the bike, Donatello hobbled over towards the front entrance of the zoo and clumsily climbed over the wall. He stopped and listened to see if anyone heard his intrusion… Nothing. 

Eyes squinting in the dark, Don followed the signs towards 'Serpentaria'. It didn't take him long to discover the reptile section of the zoo. Using ninja stealth, Donatello walked around and found a door to the staff-only area. Taking a distorted paper clip out of his trench coat pocket, the turtle picked the lock and went inside. He stopped for a moment to allow time for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. 

Limping over with outstretched arms, Donatello moved towards a shelf that held what looked like a torch. He sighed with relief when he discovered that he was indeed correct. Turning on the flashlight, the turtle jumped with shock when he saw a snake directly in front of him. Startled by the sudden presence of light, the reptile lunged for Donatello, but it's fangs only made contact with the glass surrounding its enclosure. Don sighed and tried to calm down, but the stress and anxiety was still there. 

As he scanned the light across the room, Don noticed the vials of antidote placed neatly on a solid rack attached to the wall. He continued to search and look around, observing the nonmoving snakes in their nighttime terrariums. Don stopped when he found the species that he'd been bitten by. _'Diamond Python,'_ Donatello read to himself quietly. Sighing and shaking his head with a smile, Don untied the bandanna around his knee and allowed the blood flow to return once again, knowing that the snake wasn't venomous. He giggled at himself for getting so wound up and stressed, though he stopped laughing abruptly when his highly trained ninja senses picked up an approaching human presence. 

He swiftly exited the room and locked the door he'd picked at to get in. Don froze and listened to the sounds of the looming security patrol vehicle. Not wanting to be caught, Donatello climbed over the first wall he could see in an attempt to hide. Crouching down, the turtle came face to face with a very large Komodo Dragon. Don just smiled stupidly at the creature before hurriedly vacating the enclosure. The vehicle was getting closer by the second. Donatello climbed into the next nearest enclosure, but quickly jumped out again when he realised it housed two crocodiles. Noting to himself to look before he leaped, Donatello searched around for a place to hide. Not being able to find such as place, the turtle dashed down the steep, wide path, slowly getting deeper and deeper into the zoo. 

With the security vehicle only seconds away from discovering him, Donatello decided to take his chances in an African Savannah enclosure. A zebra woke up and whooped with surprise when it saw Don, but fortunately the animal calmed down before any suspicion was raised. Hiding in some nearby bushes, Donatello waited for the vehicle to pass. 

When the sounds of the jeep's engine had faded, Donatello emerged from his hiding spot. With little difficulty, he climbed back over the fence surrounding the enclosure and started to make his way back towards the entrance. A series of grunts caught his attention. Curious, Donatello turned towards the sound and walked up a small wooden walkway. He smiled when he saw four koalas in their leafy enclosure. Leaning up against the railing, Don took the time to observe them. He had never seen koalas in the flesh before and felt privileged to watch them when they were awake and active. Don smiled when a koala bellowed out a few grunts and gasped when one of the marsupials nimbly leaped from tree to tree.

Donatello jumped in shock when a large bat landed in one of the trees behind him, screeching loudly as it did so. The turtle sighed when his stomach began to growl with hunger once again. He smiled and shook his head with humorous thoughts as he left the zoo, knowing that this would be a night that he wouldn't forget all too easily. 

*****

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A zoo in New York.

Dr Yesmal entered the staff common room, causing Dr Aquel to look up from the book she was reading. "How did the meeting go?" she inquired.

"Alright. We've agreed to try and introduce the ape and the turtles again, though if there doesn't seem to be any improvement, then we'll have to consider transferring the ape or the turtles to another enclosure, or to another zoo entirely," Dr Yesmal said grimly. Dr Aquel simply nodded her head in understanding.

"So what's the plan?" she asked.

"We're going to try the same techniques that we used the other day. We'll have to see if we can do it this afternoon," Dr Yesmal explained. Dr Aquel nodded her head once again before returning to read the rest of her book. 

*****

Venus remained quiet and kept to herself for most of the day. She didn't really understand what she was feeling. Being a Shinobi and quite adept at the Internal Arts, she had a good grasp of utilising and sensing her own and others chi energy. She remembered that when she was pregnant with Raphael, she could sense the chi being emitted from the baby, and could feel the some of the pleasant energy that resided in his father. The same was true when she was pregnant with Diana; sensing both Leo's and the baby's life force. 

Venus knew that she was pregnant. That much was clear. However the disturbing thing was that she could sense both Leo and Mike's chi within her body and soul. She knew why she felt Leo's presence, but why she felt Mike's was still a complete mystery to her. Venus went through all the possibilities in her mind, and suddenly came to a horrific conclusion. She bit her lip with worry, not knowing how she was going to explain this to her family.

"Are you okay?" Leonardo asked Venus, sensing that something was troubling her. Venus only nodded her head in response. "You sure?" Leo pressed further. Venus put on a fake smile.

"I'm fine," she said falsely with a quiet voice. Leo stared at her a while longer before shrugging to himself, knowing that she'd talk to him later when she was ready. Taking his mind off the disturbing fact that something was really bothering his wife, Leo towards Mikey who was currently playing with Diana. 

"I spy with my little eye, something beginning with 'g'," Mike played with his niece. Diana grinned in response.

"Glass!" She answered happily and with a giggle. Michelangelo gave her a surprised expression.

"You're correct! How did you know? Did Raphael tell you?" Mike played along. Diana meekly shook her head with a proud smile on her face. 

"I, I want to play again!" Diana begged. Raphael rolled his eyes, quickly becoming tired of the game.

"Again!" Mike repeated with a rising inflection. "Hmm… Alright smarty pants," Mike agreed. Diana grinned with delight. "I spy with my little eye, something beginning with… 'g'."

"Glass!" Diana answered immediately after he'd finished his sentence. Mike gasped once again.

"You're right! How are you doing this! You must have magic powers or something!?" Mike continued to play along while Diana shook her head and grinned. 

"I'm bored," Raphael stated the obvious. "Dad, can I have a ninjitsu or sparring lesson or something?" Raphael asked Leonardo, with his tone of voice starting to come across as a whine. Leonardo sadly shook his head.

"The scientists won't like it if they see us fighting. They'd think we're going to hurt each other," he answered solemnly. 

"But we won't hurt each other…" Raphael tried to convince him. 

"I know we won't. But the scientists will think that we will," Leo explained. Raphael continued to sulk in his corner. Leonardo looked over at Venus and suddenly thought of something. "You know… not everything in ninjitsu is physical. There are a lot of mental aspects that we could focus on instead," Leo tried, though he knew that the boy was never too keen on meditation. 

"But… but what's the use of that?" Raphael questioned. Leonardo knew the boy was getting into a sullen mood. 

"Well… if you practice the techniques a lot, then one day you might be able to read other people's minds, or better yet, strengthen your punches and kicks by combing them simultaneously with the release of your chi energy," Venus informed him. Leo just smiled at her, glad that she was finally talking again.

"Your mother's right. Just looking at her fighting style gives proof that the inner strength of a fighter is just as important as the physical strength," Leo encouraged. 

"Well… okay then," Raphael agreed to try it out, though he still seemed unsure. With a smile, Leonardo and Venus directed Raphael, telling him to focus his mind while standing; the strongest position for beginners who are trying to manipulate their chi. Naturally, Diana copied and followed every move and instruction that was given by her parents. 

Leonardo and Venus looked on as Raphael started the chi ball exercise, slowly moving his two cupped palms away from each other before bringing them back in. He breathed in conjunction with the slow and relaxing movements. After performing the action over the small time frame of ten minutes, Raphael was told to open his eyes. "Did you feel anything?" Venus inquired. Stunned, Raphael nodded his head.

"It felt… I felt my hands tingle, then they felt hot. And when I started moving them, they felt… magnetic…" Raphael explained, partly excited and partly confused on what had happened. "Did I do it right?" he asked. 

Venus smiled and gave him a hug. "That's what it's supposed to feel like at first," Venus explained proudly. "You know… you got a very good result, considering that was your first time. I remember when I started my training, I didn't feel anything at all," Venus admitted.

Diana frowned and fidgeted with her hands. "Mummy… I, I didn't feel anything," she said gloomily with downcast eyes. Leo and Venus just gave the girl a gentle smile.

"You will one day. Maybe when you're a little older," Venus suggested. Diana simply pouted and nodded slowly. 

Leonardo and Mike watched as the female scientist entered the room outside. They thought she was simply going to let Silver back into his glass cell, considering it was nearly the zoo's closing time. But to their surprise, she opened the turtle's door slightly, just like she'd done the other day. 

The whole family immediately backed away, especially Diana who didn't want to repeat her mistake. The turtles waited and watched as Silver cautiously approached their door. Leonardo could see that the ape had the intention of attacking them again, though the sight of tranquilizer dart guns stopped him. A thick and awkward tension filled the air. No words were passed. Only looks of anger and intimidation. Silver snorted and slowly walked away, knowing that he couldn't do anything to them this time around. A sigh of relief swept through the turtle clan, glad that nothing bad had come from their second encounter with the wild ape. 


	19. The Official Opening

A/N: Well I've nearly finished my exams. Sorry this chapter took so long as I had to write it bit by bit throughout the past two weeks. But I made the chappie longer to make up for it! The good news is that my school holidays are coming up soon (thank goodness for that!) so I should be updating more often in the near future.

Chapter 19: The Official Opening.

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Two days later at the zoo…

All five turtles sat quietly in their cell, waiting and wondering what the day ahead would bring. Over the past two days, the scientists had repeated the experiment; slowly trying to get Silver used to the reptiles' constant presence. Like previously, no words were ever exchanged between the two species, only harsh and discomforting glances whenever the steel doors were opened slightly.

It was early in the morning and the room's heated lights had only just turned on. Dr Aquel entered shortly afterwards and let Silver out of his cell abnormally premature compared to most days. Leonardo expected their steel door to open only slightly, but to his surprise, the female scientist opened the door completely. Terrified, everyone huddled as far back from the door as possible, not knowing what the crazy ape would do. 

Nothing happened. 

Taking control of the situation, Leonardo cautiously stepped forward and poked his head out of the safe confines of the concrete cell. The turtle spotted Silver pacing aimlessly around at the opposite end of the enclosure. The two creatures locked eyes for a few seconds. Although the ape's cold and icy stare sent shivers down Leo's shell, the turtle was quite surprised that it was Silver who ended up breaking the gaze. 

Leonardo looked around the enhanced enclosure. The tree and the glass window protected by a thick electric fence were still there, but that was all Leo could find familiar. A small yet deep pond was located near the edge of the perimeter, next to the lower viewing window. Looking up, Leo observed the barb wire fence that lined the upper audience viewing deck. It projected inwards into the enclosure at a forty-five degree angle, obviously to cause complications for any humans wanting to free the zoo's extremely rare inhabitants. 

Yet the major difference was the fact that the enclosure was almost divided in two; an outdoor grassy area and an encased, concrete sewer like structure. Two tall solid concrete walls enclosed one of the corners; the only way in was through a large, wide pipe situated directly opposite the electrically protected window, so that even if they did decide to shy away, the audience would still be able to see them in their sewer hideout. On closer inspection, Leonardo discovered that the ceiling of the concrete area was in fact a partly transparent sunshade cloth so that people from above could still see them. Despite all the new elements that had been added over the years, there was still no place to hide from the inquisitive eyes of the public.

Although Leonardo didn't have to worry about the public at that particular moment, considering they were let out of their cell well before the zoo's opening time. However, what did bother the turtle were the zoo keepers standing around the upper deck holding tranquilizer guns. He figured that they were the reason why Silver wasn't as aggressive as he was compared to their first encounter. After ensuring that Silver was no immediate threat, Leo signaled for the rest of his family to come forth.

Leonardo watched in silence as his family timidly emerged from the cell one by one. Raphael wriggled his toes against the grass while Diana bent down to pluck off a few blades. The adults admired their childlike joy in discovering something so simple such as touching grass, though their hearts ached with pity upon the realisation of all the other natural wonders they missed had out on because of their hidden lifestyle. 

Intrigued, Diana wandered over towards the single tree in the enclosure and felt the gritty bark for the first time in her life. Raphael would have gone over too, if it weren't for the foreboding feeling that was being emitted from Silver. Satisfied with her inspection of the tree, Diana was about to wander over towards the pond when Leo stopped her, worried that Silver might do something either suspicious or unexpected. 

The ape stared at them, while the turtles all stared back. The zoo keepers that supervised the mutants raised their tranquilizer dart guns higher, preparing for anything. Once again, nothing happened. The tension between the two species lingered on for a while longer until Silver decided to enter the concrete area of the enclosure, disappearing from the turtles' view.

A click was heard from behind. Leo, Mike and Venus turned around to discover that Dr Aquel had placed food in their cell's tray. It was obvious that the staff wanted them to return to their nighttime concrete enclosure. Feeling uncomfortable about being out in the open with Silver, the turtle family obliged. Returning to the metal control panel, Dr Aquel partially closed the steel door once again so that Silver could continue his conditioning in getting used to the reptiles' presence. It stayed like that for the rest of the day. Silver came close to them a number of times, but nothing was said or heard. 

*****

__

The next morning.

Mike and Leo watched on as Venus guided Raphael' s meditation and chi conditioning lesson. Mike couldn't help but chuckle at Leo's daughter who was trying to follow along, always wanting to participate and learn more. Leonardo absentmindedly chewed on his apple, staring into the abyss of the cold, gray blank room. Leo closed his eyes and judged from the ever-growing temperature of the cell that it was nearly the time where Silver was let out of his nighttime compartment. 

Sure enough, five minutes later both scientists entered the outside room. Venus immediately stopped the lesson, wondering what would be in store for them today. Raphael watched on with cautious eyes from his meditation position on the floor, while Diana curled up into a ball. All of their muscles tensed when both Silver's steel door and their own were left wide open. Just like the day before, Silver didn't approach or attack them. Curious, Leonardo and Michelangelo slowly exited the cell only to freeze in panic.

"There they are!" a woman gasped, pointing at them from the crowd. As soon as the spectator spoke, hundreds of camera flashes filled the turtles vision. The murmur of voices grew louder and louder until it was almost deafening. Leo and Mike had forgotten how intrusive the media and public were. Venus poked her head out of the cell only to be blinded by the same bright flashing lights. 

"Mum, what's wrong? What's happening?" Raphael questioned behind her. Diana nervously held her brother's hand. Venus sighed, knowing that they'd have to emerge sooner or later even though she didn't want to expose her two children like that. She bent down so that she was eye level with Raphael. 

"Now, there's a lot of humans out there. A lot more than you've ever seen before-" Venus tried to prepare them.

"Are you coming?" Leo interrupted her, poking his head back into the cell. He gave the two children a worried and nervous look, knowing that this could turn out to be a rather traumatic experience for them. Mike joined the others and frowned at the two scientists waiting impatiently by the control panel so that they could close the steel doors. 

Step by step, together they all entered the enclosure as a family. The chattering murmur dramatically rose once again at the sight of Raphael and Diana. The cell's steel doors snapped shut, locking all of them outside to endure the arrogant scrutiny of the human race.

"They're so cute!" a middle aged woman uttered to her husband.

"Extraordinary," a photographer murmured to himself in between photos.

"They're so weird," someone said in the background.

"Fascinating."

"Look at their size."

"Odd…"

"Ugh… They're so freakish!"

"I don't know what to make of them!"

"They shouldn't breed these abominations."

"I wonder how they became like that?"

"Those little ones are hideous!"

"They're not the most attractive animals in the world. They should have invested more money into the panda breeding program."

"They're just plain ugly."

Raphael glared up at the visitors with anguished tears in his eyes upon hearing their millions of individual comments. His hatred of humans that he had repressed a couple of days ago suddenly arose from the depths of his angry soul. He subconsciously growled at them with animosity, slowly clenching his fists with the overpowering desire to attack. Mike's hand was gently laid on his shoulder and almost instantly the anger faded away into distress. "You okay?" Mike asked quietly just to make sure. The boy nodded slightly and bit his lip as he allowed a tear to roll down his cheek. "Don't let them get to ya. You're better than them in so many ways," Mike encouraged Raphael while he gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

Diana froze under the judgmental gaze of the hundreds of pairs of eyes from the audience. She had never seen this many people before, and it scared her to no end. Her body shook with fear as she listened to their ceaseless comments and misinformed opinions. As a few tears dribbled down her face, she ran over to Venus for comfort. The adult bent down and wiped away her daughter's distraught tears before giving her a hug. "Mm… Mummy? Am, am I pretty?" the girl asked with a sniffle. Venus worriedly looked into her daughter's eyes, wondering how much she actually believed the negative comments. 

"Of course you are," Venus assured her. Venus never wanted this for her child and it pained her to witness her daughter's realisation of how different and rejected she was from humanity. A tear of her own rolled down her face upon remembering the emotional pain she had endured over her childhood, when she realised that she wasn't beautiful and the possibility of falling in love or getting married was an impossible dream. Of course, her whole outlook on life had changed when she finally met the guys at the age of seventeen.

Venus watched as another couple of tears escaped from Diana eyes. Venus knew that unlike her upbringing, Diana would be raised in an understanding environment with her own species, though there would be no possibility in the future for a relationship. She remembered a conversation she had with Leo and Mike back when she was pregnant with Diana. After discussing all the possibilities, everyone realised that their species was doomed unless inbreeding occurred somewhere down the line. Inevitably the burden of carrying on the species would fall onto Raphael and Diana, as much as everyone hated to admit it. For Venus, today was the start of her daughter's inner torment of coming to grips with who she really was in this society and world. 

"They're not very nice to look at."

"Eew."

"Gross."

"Cool."

"Yuck!"

"They're so ugly!"

"Mutants!"

"Freaks!" 

Diana continued to cry as the random calls kept on coming from the spectators. Venus looked her daughter in the eyes. "Don't listen to them! Okay. You're my beautiful little girl and I love you very, very much," Venus said seriously before she hugged Diana tightly, as she herself became tearful once again. Diana numbly nodded her head while she wiped her eyes. Venus gave Leonardo a worrying look. The male turtle sighed, knowing that the audible comments were tearing both of the children's self confidence into shreds. They needed to hide somewhere; get away from the open. Leo anxiously stared at the concrete area with the idea of going over there, yet he also knew that Silver was around there as well. Heavily sighing, Leo decided that taking his chances with the devil he knew was far better than staying outside under the scrutiny of the audience.

Venus gathered up Diana in her arms while Mike held one of Raph's hands, as they all slowly moved into the enclosed concrete area. As soon as they entered, Raphael felt more secure because of the familiarity with his sewer home. The air was damp and dank; the room was colder than the temperature outside. Long, stiff fake pipes ran along the edges of the concrete walls; some haphazardly went straight through the room, making it look like the sewer environment even more. One pipe in the corner was on purposely dripping water, recreating the common sounds of the underground. Looking up through the slightly transparent sunshade, Raphael could still see the visitors clustering around the top deck to view them, but at least he felt more at home in the concrete part of the enclosure.

Silver was found pacing the length of the solid wall opposite to where they were standing. Nervously biting his nails, the ape quickened his stride, growled, muttered something incoherent before continuing his endless walking. The male turtles warily looked at him while Venus sat Diana down on a fake pipe to see if she was doing okay psychologically. Silver stopped pacing for a second and stared at them.

"Those your children Greenie?" Silver suddenly asked. Leonardo blinked for a split second, surprised that Silver was actually talking to them, though he seethed at the name the ape called him; it seemed that old habits die hard. 

"My name is Leonardo, and the girl is my child," Leo answered slowly and cautiously, causing Silver to raise his eyebrow in wonder as to who the boy's father was. Silver grumped in response and started to chew his fingernails again; a bad habit he must have picked up over the years due to boredom. Although Leo didn't want to continue the conversation, Mike spoke up anyway.

"Hey… Do you know of a way out of here?" Mike asked, stepping forward. Silver gave the turtle an icy stare.

"How the hell am I supposed to know!? You're the ones who escaped!" Silver snapped bitterly. Mike stepped backwards in submission, surprised at the angry tone of voice he used.

"I was just wondering, you know," Mike murmured, saying it more to himself than to Silver. All of a sudden, the crowd grew quiet for no apparent reason. In an instant, Silver speedily ran past the turtle family and into the grassy part of the enclosure. Curious, the turtles stood in the pipe - which was the entrance to the concrete area – and peeked outside to observe what Silver was up to. They found the ape staring into the crowds, completely captivated by something. Looking up themselves, they were surprised to find Dr Aquel standing amongst the crowds, hooking up her microphone so that it sat nicely on her ear and cheek. 

"What's happening?" Raphael whispered his question to no one in particular. Leo frowned.

"It looks like there's going to be a keeper talk…" Leo murmured. The turtles watched on in silence as Dr Aquel started to speak.

"Good morning everyone. My name is Dr Susan Aquel and I'd like to welcome you to our zoo," the female scientist introduced. "As you can see, this is now a shared exhibit between the Yeti and uh…" she coughed, hating the name. "Um… Yesmal's Turtle," she rolled her eyes. "Please leave questions to the end," she commented when several audience members put up their hands. "There is very little we do know about both of these species, but we hope that with time we'd be able to learn more."

"What we do know about the Yesmal's Turtle is that they are actually mutations from the regular turtles that you can buy from any pet store. They are bipedal and have a muscular skeletal system similar to our own, however they are still cold blooded like most reptiles. They also have vocal calls and have been known to simply mimic human speech. So far we've been feeding them a variety of fruit and vegetables. As you all know, a couple of years back some animal rights activists freed these turtles. Unfortunately, the two juveniles were born outside of the zoo's care and very little is known about their mating habits, gestation period, egg size, and how long it takes for the egg to hatch. They were recaptured in London's sewer system, and since they were originally found below New York, we have adapted their enclosure so it looks like their usual underground habitat. However we have kept the natural elements in the other half of the enclosure as that is what normal turtles prefer. This is actually their first day out in the public eye, so they're still getting used to things," Aquel explained before turning around to see what was happening in the enclosure.

"The large silver ape you see below me is actually the only known kind of his species. We don't know what his species actually is, but due to the similarities to the myths in the Himalayas, we have called him a Yeti, as he's the closest Yeti-like creature anyone has ever captured. Of course, if anyone ever does manage to catch an actual Yeti in the Himalayas, we'll have to think of something else to classify him as," Dr Aquel said as a few audience members giggled. 

"Like I said before, he's most likely the last of his kind. Like the Yesmal Turtle, he is bipedal and similar to a human in body structure. He also has vocal cords and can also mimic human speech, which is why some of the staff at the zoo here have nicknamed him Zaius after the original movie of the 'Planet of the Apes'," Dr Aquel paused as there was some more laughter in the audience. 

"Both the Yeti and Yesmal's Turtle are highly intelligent creatures. They do get bored easily if they aren't stimulated. What we found was that Zaius was sleeping for most of the day and that he wasn't getting enough exercise. Having this enclosure was both boring for himself and for the public watching him. We made the two species have the same enclosure so they would be more active. The Yeti and the Yesmal's Turtles won't hurt each other, however they aren't too fond of each other either. What you will find is that with shared enclosures, animals will go out of their way to avoid the other species. This makes Zaius more active and makes the enclosure more exciting for the audience. Here at the zoo you will find many other shared enclosures, such as the zebra and giraffe exhibit, and the caribou and moose exhibit," Dr Aquel continued.

"Now would you like to see Zaius perform a few tricks?" Dr Aquel asked the audience. There was a chorus of agreement and excitement from the anxious spectators. "Now these aren't going to be circus tricks or anything like that. We train our animals so that they are easier to handle, and to also perform health check ups without stressing the animal out. We don't teach them to do anything they wouldn't do in the wild," she explained further. After saying her little blurb that she repeated week after week for the audience, Dr Aquel reached for the bucket that laid beside her. She took out a small precut chunk of banana and showed Silver.

"Zaius, wave," she ordered, and Silver did exactly as he was told. After an impressed gasp was emitted from the audience, Dr Aquel through the piece of fruit into the enclosure. Silver anxiously grabbed it off the ground and ate it, causing Leo to frown in disgust at how much Silver was degrading himself.

"Zaius, say hello," Dr Aquel gave another order.

"Hello," Silver replied. Another piece of banana was thrown in.

"Zaius, sit," the female scientist gave another order. Once again Silver obeyed and another chunk of fruit was thrown in and devoured. "Zaius, smile," she asked. He did what he was told and was rewarded once again. "Zaius, do a lap," Dr Aquel said and immediately Silver took off, running around the enclosure in a full circle. Finishing the show, Dr Aquel threw in the remaining pieces of banana for Silver to finish off. "Obviously they were some basic tricks. We don't like to teach them too much, as we like them to stay wild for observational purposes. Anyway, that's the end of the session. For the next fifteen minutes I'll be available to answer any questions that you might have," Dr Aquel concluded, turning off her microphone. Instantly members of the press, locals and tourists bombarded her. 

Holding all the spare pieces of the banana, Silver trudged back past the turtle family and into the concrete area for some solitude. Leonardo just stared at him from afar, not knowing what to make of the ape. "What!?" Silver snapped at the turtle with full mouth of food. 

"I just didn't think you were to the type to stoop that low," Leonardo accused, angered and disturbed by his old enemy.

"So? I got food didn't I?" Silver defended his actions whilst stuffing his face with the rest of the yellow fruit. The ape stopped chewing for a second to give the turtle family a long, hard glare. "Don't you dare think that they won't try to train you too!" Silver outburst with anger. 

"I'll never let them tame me so I could be a little show monkey like you," Leonardo said. 

"Who said they'll try to train you first? They'll most likely start with your little she-shell, Greenie," Silver taunted while pointing to Diana. Leonardo growled in response to the suggestion. With an odd smile on his face, Silver sat down and lounged against one of the pipes. The adult turtles could tell that he was slowly getting back to his old self. "So how'd you wind up in here anyway?… Did Bonesteel catch you?" Silver asked carefully, growling while he said the name of the hunter.

Sensing no immediate danger, Mike and Venus chose to sit down while Raphael and Diana decided to explore the pond outside. Leo, however, remained standing; not trusting the ape for even a moment. "We were surrounded…" Venus answered when she figured that Leo wasn't going to. 

"We ran into Bonesteel a lot, but he wasn't the one who-"

"-I swear if I ever get out of here, the first thing I'm going to do is snap that son of a bitchs' neck!" Silver growled uncontrollably, interrupting Mike's extended explanation. It was clear to the three turtles that Silver had developed a massive grudge on Bonesteel over the years. No one could really blame him for loathing the hunter. A resolution suddenly popped into Leo's head, and although he didn't really like it, his conscious told him that it was worth a shot.

"Then I guess that makes us allies," Leo speculated. Venus and Michelangelo almost gasped in surprise at what Leo had just considered, though they hid their shock behind a serious facial expression. Silver gave them all a filthy glare.

"There is no way I'm going to be friends with you green, primitive sewer reptiles! I still haven't forgotten all of the things you did to me!" Silver roared in disgust. Leo simply kept calm and shrugged.

"Being allies doesn't necessarily mean that we have to be friends. We're allies because we have the same interests and goals. We both want to escape and live out the rest of our lives peacefully, which in turn means that we have to dispose of Bonesteel," Leo paused and gave Silver some time to think about it. "Now will you help us or not?" Leo asked with a solemn monotonous tone.

Silver grumped and looked away. As much as he hated to admit it, the turtle had a good point. Deep inside, he knew that he couldn't escape all by himself. Yes, he did dislike them greatly, but that hate was completely overridden with his loathing thoughts of Bonesteel. He wanted revenge more than anything. In a weird kind of way, he felt secure around them, mainly because they reminded him of himself; they were also a rare species trying to survive the burden of humanity. Silver knew that they were trained ninja and had many useful skills that he could possibly abuse. The more he thought about it, the more he liked it; realising all of the benefits. 

Silver locked eyes with Leonardo. "The security cameras that monitor the nighttime cells are on a twelve hour circuit. Every twelve hours, the videotape runs out and needs to be changed by the security personnel. While they're doing that, the cameras are inactive for about four minutes. This happens twice a day; once at eight o'clock at night, once at eight in the morning," Silver informed him. "You figure something out… Greenie," the ape said with a sly grin as he walked past Leo to get some sunshine outside. Leonardo frowned at the nickname.

"Hmm… Something tells me that you're stuck with that name, bro," Mike humoured him.

"Geez, you think?" Leo replied, wondering what they were getting themselves into.

*****

__

Late Afternoon.

Everyone was stressed and tired from the exhausting and drawn-out day. The hours ticked by extremely slowly, especially when there was nothing really to do in the enclosure except pose for the visitors. At five o'clock when the zoo closed, everyone was more than happy to return to their respective nighttime cells. Silver didn't really talk much for the rest of the day, but Leo figured that he was still thinking everything through. But it wasn't Silver that he was worried about. It was Venus.

She had barely said a thing to him all day, which was highly unusual as he thought that they could tell each other anything. Something was really bothering her, which in turn made Leo feel uncomfortable and worried as well. It wasn't just him either. Mike had also picked up on Venus' withdrawn behaviour and he had asked Leo whether he knew anything about it, which of course, Leo didn't have an answer.

Leonardo stared at her deep, serious pondering facial expression from across the glass-bound room. He could easily tell that she was deep in thought. Mike looked at Leo before looking at Venus again, knowing that the matter would be resolved soon. "Venus… Are you okay?" Leo finally asked. Venus snapped out of her troublesome thoughts for just a second to give him a dissatisfying nod, before returning back to her wordless thinking. Mike raised an eye-ridge at Leo, signaling that something definitely wasn't right. From observing the looks being shared by Leo and Mike, Raphael quickly picked up that something was wrong as well, and soon, even Diana could sense the heavy tension an awkwardness in the room.

Venus snapped out of her dreamlike state long enough to realise that everyone was looking at her, waiting for something to be said. She tried to form the words she wanted to say, but she couldn't do it, and instead she became close to tears. Leonardo immediately moved across the room to sit beside her in comfort. He took her hand in his as Venus used her other to wipe away the couple of loose tears that had rolled down her cheeks. Leo wanted an explanation, and Venus knew that whatever she said, he wouldn't like it.

"Venus… Please… Just tell me, please," Leo tried to coax her while he calmed her down.

"Leo…" Venus started before wiping away another loose tear and giving a quick sniffle. She looked away, avoiding his anxious gaze. Everyone was silent; patiently waiting for the rest of her sentence. "…I'm pregnant," she finally admitted. A sigh of relief swept over Leo, glad that it didn't end up being one of the many worst case scenarios he had thought up of in his head.

He wrapped his arms around Venus as a symbol of his understanding. "Venus… Did you think that I would be angry?" Leo wondered, considering she didn't act this way when she told him about the previous two pregnancies. Venus almost broke down into tears but she managed to compose herself. Her lips trembled in fear of what she was going to say next.

"…One of them is Mikey's," Venus admitted softly. An expression of pure shock could be seen on both Mike and Leo's face.

"What!?" Leo raised his voice in alarm; his tone was dead serious. Venus was about to say something else, but she was interrupted when Leonardo started yelling angrily at Michelangelo. "What the hell did you do!?" Leonardo accused the male turtle in orange. Leo stood up and swiftly walked over to him.

"Dude… I swear… nothing happened!!" Mike replied in a panic as he scrambled to stand up. Leonardo pushed him into the glass.

"Nothing happened!?! Venus is pregnant with your kid! How do you explain that!?" Leo yelled in Mike's face; his eyes burning with fury.

"Leo! We never did anything!! I swear… I would never do that to you!" Mike uttered quickly while raising his arms to try and block Leo's incoming punch. Venus jumped in and held onto Leo's arm, preventing the fist from making contact. Scared and confused, Diana crawled into her brother's protective arms, not liking the level of aggression in the room. Raphael held on to her tightly, not quite knowing himself what was really happening.

"Leo! He's telling the truth! Nothing happened between us!" Venus tried to convince her husband. Leonardo briskly turned to look at her face.

"Well something doesn't add up!" Leo said with a mixture of emotions and thoughts. 

"They used artificial insemination," Venus said quietly, feeling ashamed. The room fell silent once again. "…So I'm pregnant with both of you," she concluded when the silence became too much. Both Leo and Mike's eye-ridges furrowed.

"What!?" Leo repeated, yet this time he was deeply confused.

"How does that work!?" Mike uttered at the same time as Leo. Venus sighed, knowing that it would be awkward and difficult to explain.

"Female turtles have the ability to… store sperm from multiple partners," Venus mumbled, eyes focused on the ground. The two males were stunned and still rather confused.

"So… you're having twins?" Mike asked slowly.

"Well… not exactly. I'm having two children that will be born around the same time, though one of them is Leo's and the other is yours," Venus answered Mike quietly.

"…Damn…" Mike muttered to himself. "I'm having a child and I'm still a virgin!" Mike murmured. Both Leo and Venus found his comment and predicament humorous, though neither of them laughed. "…Venus, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that…" Mike tried to apologise.

"Mike, it's not your fault. It's the scientists that did this to me," Venus said. Silence filled the room once again. After thinking over all of her problems, Venus finally released a few tears. 

"Venus, it's okay. We'll work through this," Leo tried his best to make her feel better.

"That's not it…" Venus continued. "I'm… I'm going to have four children from three fathers!… It just… It just sounds so bad…" Venus trembled as some more tears escaped from her eyes. Leonardo knew what she meant. Venus was a respectable girl who lived by honour. Having multiple partners was something that she wouldn't do, and it went against everything she stood for as a Shinobi. Leo sighed knowing that the scientists hadn't only hurt Venus physically, but mentally as well, and Venus now probably felt she had dishonored everyone even though it wasn't really her fault that things turned out like this. There wasn't much Leo could say to make things better. She knew that it wasn't her fault, but it was the principle of the circumstances. 

As the silence slowly crept back into the cell, the adults looked at the two children sitting on the floor waiting patiently, wanting an explanation of the current events. Not really knowing what to tell the two, the silence continued. "Is mum pregnant again?" Raphael asked quietly. Leo nodded wordlessly. The boy knew that there was more to it than that, but he decided to keep his mouth shut for the time being. That didn't stop Diana however.

"Why… why is Mummy sad?" Diana asked curiously.

"She's gonna have another baby," Raphael told her quickly. Diana thought about it for a while.

"Where… where do babies come from?" Diana asked, still curious. No one responded her question as no one really knew the answer anymore. They weren't created by love, but instead by the heartless greed of the scientists, and none of the adults could find it in themselves to tell the children the horrifying fact of the matter. They'd find out soon enough…


	20. Old Enemies

Rene – There actually is a Steve Irwin/TMNT crossover! It's written by Kali Gargoyle and it's called 'The Ninja Turtle Hunter'.

A/N: Sorry this chapter's been so late. I've had the usual computer problems, final school assignments, brothers and sisters hogging the keyboard etc. Anyway, I'm on school holidays now so there _should_ be a new chapter soon… Is it just me or are these chapters getting longer? o_0 Also I'd like to wish you all a Happy Easter, and even if you don't celebrate it, just hoard all the Cadbury Bunnies (or bilbies in Australia!) while they're still available! Yum! Chocolate!

Chapter 20: Old Enemies.

__

Sydney, Australia

Donatello sat on his beanbag chair while he flicked through the television channels, hoping to find something to watch that would spark his interest. Sighing, he reluctantly stopped searching to watch the weather report on the news. It seemed that on every second day of the week it would be raining, which was both good and bad for the turtle; good because there were less people on the streets and it wasn't as suspicious to be seen wearing a trench coat, while it was also bad as the storm drains would begin to flood. As the weather report concluded, the minor and short news stories were aired, and one in particular definitely sparked Donatello's interest. 

Don leaped forward and pressed a button on the VCR to start recording the program. After a couple of establishing shots of the New York Zoo, a voice over was heard soon after. _"After years of chasing and waiting, the newly named Yesmal's Turtle have arrived back at New York Zoo, including two more additions,"_ the reporter said as Raphael and Diana were shown on the screen. _"The turtles are now in a combined exhibit with the exclusive Yeti in hopes that it will raise both interest and tourism to the zoo community. Now that the turtles have been released back into the public eye, there are hopes that the plan to breed these extraordinary reptiles can continue,"_ the reporter concluded the brief news story. 

Donatello sighed and stopped the videotape, not wanting to record the rest of the news. Not bothering to see the rest of the program, the turtle changed channels so he could watch the short segment again. He paused the video when the camera zoomed in on the two children. Don curiously observed the young turtle wearing a red bandanna. The boy had a lean frame, as he wasn't old enough to really start building up his muscles yet. When pictured next to Leo, his head came up to about his chest height, giving Don a clear indication that this indeed was Raph's son as the girl was almost twice as short. Along with that, the red bandanna was almost a direct clue. Staring at his face for a little while longer, Donatello began to recognise the similar facial features with his genetic father… In fact, the more Don thought about it, the more the boy resembled his father. 

Donatello played the tape forward before pausing it once again. This time he had a clear picture of the little girl. Taking into account her size and slightly scared expression, Don figured that the child was only a few years old, possibly three or four. _'Poor kid,'_ Don thought when he realised that the glass prison was no place for a youngster to grow. He examined her frightened dark amber eyes behind her white mask, trying to figure out who Diana's father was, but her appearance resembled her mother too much to tell. Donatello sighed once again. 

He turned off the television and sat in silence for a few moments. Just seeing the two children's scared expressions gave Donatello enough motivation to try and figure out another plan. Itching to write, Donatello picked up a pen and sat at his table, but a heavy rumbling and splattering sound from the surface destroyed his focus. The droning noise grew even louder. 

Immediately Donatello stood up and grabbed a few sandbags that he had created over the years. It hadn't rained for weeks, but when it finally did, it poured. With any soil being too dry and cracked to soak up any water, the rain traveled straight into the drains, and on really bad nights, flash flooding occurred. With his arms chock-full with heavy bags, Donatello ran down a few pipes before dumping his load onto the ground. If he didn't do this, then there was a risk that his underground lair might be submerged with an inch deep layer of water by the time morning came. 

Satisfied with his first load, Donatello ran back to his home to grab some more bags. Although he desperately just wanted to write a plan to rescue his family, he unfortunately had to attend to other matters first.

*****

__

New York, 7:30 am. At the zoo…

"Box," Raphael said simply.

"Crate," Michelangelo replied with a bored tone.

"Box," Raphael stated again.

"Crate," Mike repeated.

"Box."

"Crate."

"Box."

"Crate."

"Box."

"What are they doing?" Venus asked Leo, while looking at Mike and her son weirdly.

"Crate," Mike continued.

"They're playing a word association game," Leonardo answered Venus' question.

"Box," Raphael continued. Diana observed the scene and started to giggle at their repetition.

"Crate."

"Oh… why?" Venus asked, still giving the two turtles weird looks. 

"Well you two said that you needed some time alone to work things out," Mike stopped playing and informed her.

"We're just keeping ourselves occupied," Raphael said with a cheeky tone like a smart-ass. Venus and Leo frowned.

"Yeah but… that game is just really, _really_, distracting… and monotonous," Leo told them off. Mike only gave him a charismatic grin. Silence unexpectedly filled the room.

"So, like… how come Mum is pregnant with Uncle Mikey's baby?" Raphael asked slowly, still horribly confused.

"Mummy, where do babies come from?" Diana whined, as she had wanted to know the answer since the previous night. Venus and Leo looked to each other and sighed, knowing that they weren't going to drop the subject. They were way too inquisitive for that. With a heavy heart, Leonardo decided that he should inform the boy about the scientists' meddling as Venus would become too emotional. While he was at it, he explained the more cellular part of how babies were made, though the adults were thankful that Diana became too confused and bored to understand everything that was said and thus maintained some innocence. Raphael, on the other hand, suddenly knew the enormity of everything that had occurred and the situation their species was in.

"So… will I have children?" Raphael asked quietly when Leo answered everything that he possibly could. The turtle in blue let out a sigh.

"You can, but…" he trailed off and began to stare at his bored daughter. Raphael followed his gaze.

"Oh…" was all the boy said when he realised what Leo was hinting at. Raphael blushed and looked away, embarrassed that he asked the question and at the suggestion that was made. The silence was so thick that not even breathing could be heard.

"So… how do you plan on raising, um… the two children?" Mike curiously and carefully asked Venus.

"Well… I was thinking that maybe Leo and I could raise them as twins so that they would never know…" Venus answered slowly. Mike bit his lip and shook his head in disagreement.

"Venus… This child is partly my fault as well. I know that it'd be a lot easier to raise them together in ignorance but… you know… I've seen both of you raise two really great kids but I can't help but feel… left out. This is my child as well and… I guess I just want to be a major part of their life… I'll raise the child by myself if you like," Mike finally offered. 

"We should raise them as a family… " Leo said simply, hinting to Mike that it shouldn't be completely his responsibility. Michelangelo nodded his head knowing what Leo meant. It was the way Raphael was raised. Although Raph called Leo his father, the whole clan put in equal effort in his upbringing; Leo trained him, Venus guided and cared for him, while Mike entertained and played with the boy. The deafening silence returned. During the tense stillness, Leonardo noticed that the power light for the video camera turned off. "Well, would you look at that! Silver was telling the truth after all. The video camera turns off at eight o'clock in the morning and at night," Leonardo exclaimed.

"How do you know it turns off at night?" Mike asked.

"I saw it turn off on the first day we arrived here," Leo informed him. The leader looked around the room; his mind was going in overdrive to try and discover a way to get out. His eyes rested on the grate built into the steel wall where the sleeping gas was usually pumped out. Leo stood up and walked over to it, only to notice that he could see a bit of light being emitted from the outside enclosure. On a closer inspection, he saw a fan with large blades behind the grate, obviously used for making the room temperature colder and for spreading the sleeping gas evenly around the cell. He stepped back and observed the size of the grate. 

During their first visit to the glass prison, using the grate in the wall wasn't an option as they were simply too large to fit through. But now that they had Raphael and Diana who could successfully fit, circumstances quickly began to change. "Hey Raph, do you think you'd be able to squeeze in here?" Leo asked as he fiddled and loosened some of the screws that held the grate to the wall. The boy stared at the small space.

"Maybe," he said. "Probably, yeah," Raph assured Leo more confidently. 

"Have you thought of something Leo?" Mike questioned curiously.

"I think that either Raph or Diana could squeeze in here and crawl to the enclosure outside. They could jam the fan by blocking the blades with an apple or something. They don't spin that fast all the time anyway. Well they're not spinning fast right now," Leo rambled his thoughts that were speeding through his mind a mile a minute. 

"One problem," Mike said simply. "We've got parental supervision," Mike reminded him, pointing to the security cameras. "As soon as we're seen escaping, they'll just alert the zoo keepers with the tranquils," Mike shrugged. Leonardo stared at the security cameras. All of a sudden, as if on cue, the red power light began to glow once again. Leo smiled to himself.

"Four minutes…" Leo murmured. "We've got a four minute window of opportunity. Silver had the right idea! At night, as soon as the security cameras are turned off, we'll detach this grate from the wall and we'll get Raphael to climb in. He'll then crawl into the enclosure, then head around through the staff area to free the rest of us," Leo explained excitedly. Mike held a thoughtful expression while Venus became worried about Raphael's well being considering the child's father executed the same basic plan format.

Yet before much more could be discussed amongst the group, Dr Yesmal entered the outside room and pressed a button on the control panel as a sign for both the turtles and Silver to move out into the daytime enclosure. All of the reptilian family stepped out of the cell and onto the fresh grass in a calmly fashion, relieved that they still had approximately one hour before the public would arrive. 

"Did you think of something?" Silver abruptly called out as he came out of his cell. Leonardo warily nodded his head, still not completely used to Silver's presence. The turtles cautiously told Silver their plan, causing the ape to frown in confusion.

"Wait, wait…" Silver stopped Leo's explanation. "How will Raphael get out of the enclosure once he's crawled through the air duct?" Silver nit-picked. Leonardo almost blushed in embarrassment for being so excited to forget to figure out such an important part of the plan. The turtle in blue sighed and looked around. That's when he found the answer.

"The tree!" Leo said out of nowhere. "The tree is tall enough that Raphael can leap from the branch to the overlooking walkway," Leonardo explained further. Curious at his suggestion, everyone moved closer to the tree for an accurate examination. "You'd be able to make that jump, right?" Leo asked the boy rhetorically. Raphael nodded and agreed, not wanting to disappoint anyone. 

"What about the barbed wire?" Venus asked worriedly. 

"The tree's considerably taller than the fence, so it'll be easier to jump. He'll definitely clear it, don't worry," Leo conjectured. With every piece of the plan worked out, the entire group sat down to discuss the little details of the escape. Wanting to leave as soon as possible, everyone agreed that they should try the next night. By the time everything had been worked out, the public had started to gather around the enclosure and once again their ignorant comments disrupted normal conversation. Leonardo and Venus looked at each other and agreed to move somewhere else so that they could talk over some problems in private. While walking over to the concrete area of the enclosure, a particular person in the audience caught their eye. Mike also noticed this person and stared at him just like Venus and Leo. 

He was tall, had jet-black hair and looked as though he had a Japanese descent. Yet that wasn't what set him apart from the crowd. This particular man had a scar across his cheek from being scratched by a rat many, many years ago. He was Oroku Saki. 

Leonardo continued to stare at his old enemy formally known as the Shredder. The man must have been nearing his fifties now, as his hair was really starting to recede and a few small wrinkles could be seen near the eyes and mouth. A woman in her early forties also of Japanese descent was standing near him. Leo noticed the golden ring on both Saki and the woman's finger, causing the turtle to suspect that she was the ninja master's wife. A young boy with similar black hair was standing near the couple. Leo wasn't sure at first, but when the Japanese woman held his hand, the turtle knew that Saki had started a family.

It had been a good while since the turtles had seen Saki; eleven years to be exact. The last time they had seen him was when he was reduced to a crazy beggar due to his sudden internal collapse brought on by Venus a few weeks earlier. Venus, on the other hand, had only met Saki twice in her life; the first time was when she defeated him by bringing forth his old self to meet the new, allowing an inner conflict of the soul which later led to Shredder's demise, while the second time she met him was when Splinter brought Saki into their own home for rehabilitation to occur. He was still slightly mad and dysfunctional the last time Leo saw him, but now after seeing that he had gained a wife and child, Leo assumed that Saki managed to get his life back on track for the better.

As Leo stared at his old archenemy, he couldn't decide what emotion Saki was feeling at that particular moment. The man held a small smile, though it wasn't a smirk or a sneer like one would expect, but rather a peaceful and reflective expression, and, quite possibly a hint of sadness and despair. It was as though Saki was sorrowful that such a proficient group of ninjas were being disregarded as simple-minded animals. He knew that the turtles were so much more than that, and to him, them being trapped in a basic zoo was a great disappointment for him. Saki had underestimated the turtles so often, that the man had learnt that these creatures were highly capable and honourable warriors and opponents, yet his displeasure was in the fact that the turtle weren't utilizing their skills to their full capacity like they should. 

As Leo continued to look at Saki and try to figure out why the man was visiting them, the more he became slightly annoyed at the fact that the wrong person was behind bars. Saki's life over the years had improved significantly, and while Leo, like him, had also started a family, their own quality of life had reduced drastically when compared to his old enemy, even though Saki had committed some of the evilest of deeds when he was known as the Shredder. The turtle sighed when Saki's son tugged on his mother's arm as signal for them to leave and move on to another exhibit. With a simple nod of his head, Saki agreed and left the enclosure and the turtle's lives for the last time…

"Who's he?" Silver asked Michelangelo when he followed the reptile's gaze. 

"Never mind," Mike shrugged. Silver frowned.

"You know, considering that you want to be allies with me, you keep leaving me out of the loop," Silver said figuratively. Mike sighed.

"That guy you just saw then was our old enemy, Oroku Saki. See, a long time ago, Saki and Splinter's ninjitsu master had… a, uh… disagreement and-"

"You lost me," Silver interrupted his explanation. Mike gave him a confused look.

"Where?" Mike asked with a baffled tone.

"Who or what is Splinter?" Silver asked. Mike just gave him a blank stare.

"How can you not know who Splinter is?!" Mike wondered out loud. It was Silver's turn to deliver a blank expression. Mike sighed after realising that Silver had never met Splinter and therefore wouldn't know of his existence. "Splinter was the person who taught us ninjitsu… well he wasn't exactly a person… He was a mutant rat. He died eight years ago from the flu," Mike summarised.

"Uh huh," Silver uttered with a raised eyebrow. 

"Anyway, basically Oroku Saki, otherwise known as the Shredder, was the leader of the Foot Clan; this group of ninjas who conducted a number of heists and other crimes throughout New York," Mike summarised very, very briefly. Silver had a small grin on his face.

"So you were the ones who made the Foot crumble!" Silver exclaimed.

"Why? Have you heard of them?" Mike wondered innocently. Silver almost scoffed at his ignorance.

"The Foot was the biggest crime organisation in the city! Of course I've heard of them. They kept stealing all the stuff I wanted! Though naturally when they suddenly stepped out of the picture, I quickly became the leader of the number one crime syndicate in New York," Silver boasted.

"Congratulations," Mike said rather flatly. 

"Though it's rather ironic, isn't it? Years ago you inadvertently helped me, then we became enemies, and now you're helping me again?" Silver explained with a glint in his eye.

"Yeah… ironic," Mike said simply with caution, still thinking about what the ape had said. Both Mike and Silver fell silent. Not knowing what to say next, Silver stared at the concrete area of the enclosure knowing that Venus and Leo were in there.

"So what happened yesterday?" Silver asked invasively.

"What do you mean?" the turtle questioned with an unsure tone.

"I saw that you and Leo, I mean Greenie, had a fight," Silver quickly corrected himself. A smile emerged on Mike's face.

"You called him Leo," Mike grinned.

"Oh shut up!" Silver grunted. "Well are you gonna tell me or not?" Silver asked impatiently. Mike looked away, knowing full well that Silver was trying to pry information from him. Why, he did not know. The turtle sighed.

"Well… It's really none of your business and, well, it's kinda personal between Leo and Venus…" Mike stated uncomfortably. Silver crossed his arms in stubbornness.

"Do you want to be allies with me or not?" Silver blackmailed. Michelangelo sighed again, knowing that if he didn't tell the ape then he could jeopardize any possible attempt to escape if the plan had to change.

"Venus is um, pregnant. The scientists used artificial insemination so… she's gonna have my child. She's also pregnant with Leo's child since um, female turtles can get pregnant from multiple partners," Mike completed slowly. When Silver said nothing he continued. "So obviously Leo and Venus need to work a few things out between them. Also, with Venus being pregnant, this means that we want to get out of here before the eggs have to be incubated," Mike informed the ape more fully. Silver simply nodded and said nothing, not expecting the turtle to say that.

"The boy, Raphael, he's not Le-Greenie's child, is he?" Silver asked carefully with a more serious tone, almost calling the blue wearing turtle by his proper name once again.

"No… he's not," Mike said simply with a hint of sadness.

"Oh…" Silver uttered. "I heard about what happened to your brother… I'm uh… sorry for what happened," Silver murmured awkwardly. A small smile emerged on Mike's face; grateful for those tiny words the ape had spoken and admitted. 

"Thank you… That meant a lot to me," Mike said honestly. Silver just grunted in response.

"Hey… whatever happened to uh…" The ape clicked his fingers while he tried to remember the name. "Don… Donatello?" Silver finally finished. Mike just sighed.

"During the first time we were captured, Don was separated from us and taken to Washington DC under Government control… he escaped from there eight years ago… Never heard anything else about him since," Mike explained sadly. Silver just nodded. The ape and turtle watched Raphael and Diana play around the pond from afar. Mike gasped slightly when Diana suddenly fell over and skinned her knee on a rock.

"Are you okay?" Raphael asked worriedly, quickly moving to Diana's side. Diana sat down on the grass and blankly stared at her graze. As soon as she saw her wound, she began to cry. "Hey, hey, it's okay. It's not that bad…" Raph tried to soothe her. Diana sniffled.

"It hurts," she pouted before sniffling once again. Raphael bit his lip while he thought of a way to make his sister feel better.

"Maybe you should put some magic potion on it?" Raph suggested. Diana gave him a hopeful look.

"Ma-Magic potion?" she repeated, wondering what it was.

"Yeah, magic potion will make the pain go away," Raph said. The boy moved towards the pond, and without letting Diana see, he dipped his hands into the water. "See! I've got some magic potion!" Raphael falsely claimed. The boy dabbed Diana's wound with the water. "Feel better?" he asked. Diana nodded and sniffled before she dried her eyes and smiled. Raphael smiled back, knowing that his little sister had just fallen victim to the placebo effect. Raphael gave a grin to Mikey, while Mike simply chuckled as a response.

"Heh, kids," Mike shook his head and smiled. "Hey Silver? Did you ever have any brothers or sisters?" Mike asked. Silver looked away and sighed. Without saying a word, the ape walked to the other end of the enclosure, leaving Mike to wonder what had occurred in Silver's long lost past.

*****

__

The next day at the zoo…

Dr Aquel was sitting in the staff room reading Sarah's old research paper, when Dr Yesmal abruptly entered the room. Looking up from her reading material, she could see that Yesmal had just come back from a rather busy interview with the media gathered by how frazzled he looked. "How'd it go?" she asked as she tried to sneakily hide the paper away without him noticing. 

"Okay. Just did the basic run down speech. It was only for a children's educational program, so it was just the simple questions like 'what do the turtles eat' and things," Dr Yesmal sighed before sitting down on the chair opposite her. He stared at the newspaper sitting forlornly in the middle of the table. "Anything good on TV tonight?" he asked, gesturing towards it.

"Not really… Just the usual reality television shows that have taken over the world," Dr Aquel exaggerated and rolled her eyes. Dr Yesmal just smiled. 

"Any good movies?" He followed up.

"Nup… Oh, but there is one on the foreign movie channel called 'The Experiment', or 'Das Experiment'. Dunno what it is about though," Dr Aquel said simply.

"I've seen that one. It's about how in Germany, they did an experiment where they used ordinary citizens to replicate a prison or jail cell environment. Like they got two-thirds of the men to be prisoners and the other one-third to be guards… the experiment didn't last long… It's based on a true story. Quite scary really that something like that actually happened," Dr Yesmal explained with his usual know-it-all tone.

"Well… what happened?" Dr Aquel curiously asked.

"You'll just have to see it for yourself tonight on television," Dr Yesmal teased her.

"I can't. I've got to do that Night Life/Behind the Scenes tour tonight. I've got a bunch of kids this time as well…" Dr Aquel groaned. Dr Yesmal simply chuckled at her misfortune. None of the zoo keepers liked to spend the night at the zoo along with a bunch of tourists.

"What were you reading?" Dr Yesmal asked, remembering that she had a small booklet in her hand when he first entered the room.

"Oh, nothing much," Dr Aquel tried to answer casually, yet it still wasn't enough to fool Yesmal. The man lifted up the newspaper where his partner had stashed the thesis, only to have Dr Aquel reach out for it and snatch it away from his gaze.

"What is it?" he asked again.

"It's private… Women's stuff," Dr Aquel made up an excuse. Dr Yesmal simply frowned, not really believing her lie. With a sudden blur of movement and a playful smile, Yesmal's right arm lunged forward and detached the paper from Aquel's stunned grip. He quickly read the title and author while the female scientist swiftly tried to get the paper back.

"Sarah Watson!?" Dr Yesmal read out, quite stunned yet angry. Dr Aquel gave up trying to get the thesis back, knowing it might be easier to just come clean. "What is this?" the man asked, wanting answers.

"She wrote it a few years back when the turtles were first here. Apparently she was doing an assignment about them. I've read the first couple of pages and she's included a number of observations that we could use-"

"But Sarah Watson's a lunatic and nearly cost us our jobs!" Dr Yesmal yelled. Dr Aquel was quiet a few seconds. 

"But observations are observations. You know that we don't watch the turtles all day while they're in the enclosure," Dr Aquel tried to reason with him though it wasn't working.

"But what are you trying to learn from her?!" Dr Yesmal yelled once again.

"Well, we already know that the turtles are smart and how they function on the inside physically, but what we haven't started studying yet is the family or group dynamics," Dr Aquel rebutted. 

"Total rubbish!" Dr Yesmal said through gritted teeth, not wanting to hear anymore about the matter. With no warning at all, he threw the thesis in the waster paper basket that was situated in the corner of the room. A slam of the door later followed, signaling his immediate departure. Dr Aquel sighed, knowing that she had just made her workplace tens times more difficult, now that she had to deal with an angry scientist on top of everything else.

She slowly trudged over to where Dr Yesmal had disposed of the reading material. Unexpectedly, the waste paper basket tipped over and the thesis slid out and across the floor with not a crease or tear seen on it. Dr Aquel stood where she was; frozen. She felt an ethereal presence like no other, yet it was gone as soon as it was noticed. The woman shuddered, not having the slightest clue on what had just occurred. Her body shook once again when she realised there was no draft or breeze in the room, therefore eliminating a reasonable explanation of why the basket fell over. Cautiously she bent down and retrieved the thesis off the floor, before she swiftly and nervously vacated the eerie room.

*****

__

Later that night. Around 8pm.

Dr Aquel smiled falsely at the crowd in front of her. With a flashlight in hand, the group including numerous annoying youngsters had been shown around the zoo at night as part of the Night Life program supplied to tourists. Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening, various people from different communities would gather together to spend the night at the zoo, hoping to gain a worthwhile experience. It was a simple program really. The zoo keepers would start off with a welcoming speech and then would bring out a few reptiles for the audience to get up close and personal with the animals. Dinner would then be served which was usually a barbecue, and then a two and a half-hour trek around the dimly lighted zoo would begin. When the tourists would return to the education center, they would get ready to sleep in the tents that the zoo supplied, located on a lawn of grass. The next morning would start with an early breakfast, before another walk around the zoo was started; though this time the tourists would see more behind the scenes and would listen to lectures from various zoo staff.

Dr Aquel put a finger to her lips, wanting to gain control of the group. She groaned inwardly, saddened by the fact that it was her turn to spend the night with the obnoxious tourists. No zoo keeper was particularly thrilled with that aspect of the program, but it brought in good money and advertisement_. 'But tonight would be different',_ she kept thinking to herself. Tonight would be the first night that the turtles would be included into the program. Silver was sometimes visited at night, however he hadn't over the past few days and weeks due to the fact that the zoo keepers wanted the mutant turtles to settle into their 'new' home. 

The female scientist cleared her throat, getting ready to speak. "Alright. Behind this door is where we observe the Yeti and uh… Yesmal's Turtle," she murmured the last part. "Now this will be the first time the turtles have been visited at night so even I don't know how they will react. The Yeti however is more used to our visits and has been known to even 'stalk' Night Life tourists. Now when we enter this room, you are not to touch the control panel, tap on the glass or pull out their food trays as this will disturb the animals," Dr Aquel said firmly. She waited till her last words had an effect before giving another smile. "Okay, let's go in!" she said happily, whipping the flashlight around so she could see where the door handle was. With a creak of the door, the whole group entered the room. Dr Aquel quietly scanned the turtle's clear cell with her flashlight and immediately she knew that something was wrong… The little red male was missing…

*****

__

Two minutes earlier.

The whole turtle family patiently stared at the security cameras, waiting for the right moment to make their move. There it was; the red power light went out, signaling the tape had stopped recording and was currently being switched. They now had four minutes. Leo was up off the floor in an instant. Heart pounding against his plastron, he anxiously twisted the screws holding the grate loose. Their air duct to freedom had been created. "Raphael, quick!" Leonardo ordered. The turtle in blue hoisted the boy up and pushed him into the metal tunnel. Mike quickly gave Raph a left over apple. 

"Good luck!" Venus wished him worriedly from behind, not being completely sure about Leo's plan of escape. Leo replaced the grate once Raph was in far enough.

Nervous, Raphael crawled forward and timidly pushed the fruit closer and closer towards the slowly spinning large fan in front of him. With a jolt, the fan collided with the apple and became stuck in its rotation. Raph let out a sigh of relief in knowing that one of the scarier parts of his mission had been successful. Cautiously, Raphael crawled through the gap between the blades, keeping in mind that he was on a timed assignment. Further along, the air duct went down a slight slope causing Raphael to slide unstoppably on his plastron. Soon his little fingers grasped onto the grate that led into the enclosure outside. Hands shaking from the nervousness and tension, he punched the flimsy metal bars to break free, badly grazing his knuckles in the process.

He wiggled his toes on the moist grass once he climbed into the enclosure outside; an action that become somewhat of a ritual. He watched in awe as the leaves of the foreboding tree in front of him glistened in the silver moonlight. It definitely was a new and gorgeous sight to him, yet he gulped in fear as his heart continued to thump to the tune of the quickly ticking time. He ran over to the tree and gripped one of it's low lying branches with his nimble fingers. Raph hoisted himself up in what seemed no time at all. He climbed higher and higher knowing that every second counted. His shell scraped against the bark, his skin wiped across the cold, wet leaves as he ascended; though that wasn't what bothered him. It was the distance; the distance between the tree and the barb wire fence. He gulped as he stood as far up as he could, seriously wondering if he would make the jump. Raph bit his lip and his cheeks heated up with indecision when he wasted thirty seconds just simply staring at the gap he had to cross.

With a deep and brave breath, Raph prepared himself both physically and mentally for the foreboding challenge ahead. With a giant bend in the knees, he took off and leaped like an acrobat into the wind. He strained and stretched his arms as far as they would go whilst in midair… but it wasn't enough. Raphael grunted in pain as his small right hand gripped the sharp barbed wire fence in a last minute effort to save himself from falling. He clenched his teeth as the flesh from his palm was torn badly from a spike, though he had to keep holding on. Raph bellowed with effort as he tried to grab onto the fence with his other hand, yet he only succeeded in losing his grip altogether. As he plummeted towards the earth, he outstretched his left arm, once again in hopes of protecting and saving himself. 

Raphael groaned as he hit the ground. His head ached and pounded while the rest of his body felt numb from the adrenaline rush he experienced. Breathing hard in panic, Raphael looked over his body to see if anything was wrong. An overwhelming feeling of pain bombarded him when he first caught glance of his left arm. He screamed in agony when he realised he had an open fracture of the ulna.


	21. This Cell Is Haunted

A/N: Well I hope everyone had a great Easter. I sure did! (my twin brothers' birthday landed over the Easter break, so I had something extra to celebrate!). Though it's my favourite holiday in the year… I still haven't figured out how a magical rabbit handing out chocolate came about, and it's relation (if any!!) to the original purpose of the Easter celebration. o_0!

Rene: In Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation, Shredder was defeated, not decapitated or crushed by a garbage truck, wharf, [insert heavy object here] etc like in some other versions. Then later on in the series, Splinter actually did invite Shredder back to the turtle's lair for rehabilitation, and they did sort of work together in the end but… they still had their differences!

Ellie ET: Hmmm…. Kill Raph off? Nah, already done that. It'll be another character… Be afraid. Be very afraid!!

Chapter 21: This Cell Is Haunted.

Dr Aquel's eyes darted worriedly around the cell, trying to see where the little red male was. She tried her best not to show her anxiousness in front of the tourists. As she tentatively reached for her walkie-talkie, Dr Aquel stepped to the side of the room, not wanting anyone else to hear what she was about to say. Pressing a button on the side, she spoke into it. "This is Dr Aquel. One of the Yesmal's Turtles is missing. I'm here in the observation room with the Night Life program visitors, so I'll need someone to take over the group. Over," the female scientist said softly. She waited nervously for a response. 

"Claire should be down there in about three minutes to help out. Over," the person on the switchboard replied. Dr Aquel sighed and bit her lip, desperately wanting to find out what had happened to the young turtle. Just as the coordinator said, Claire arrived within three minutes.

"I'd just finished washing up the dinner plates when I was told to come down here. I came as soon as I could, though I think I saw the little male in the enclosure outside," Claire admitted worriedly; the zoo keeper assigned to help Dr Aquel out that night with the visitor program.

"Thanks. I haven't told them anything about the turtles or the Yeti yet. Just say that I had to leave as I found one of the turtles needed to be medically seen to," Dr Aquel said quickly, wanting to go. Before the zoo keeper could protest that she didn't know anything about the creatures, Dr Aquel was already gone.

The female scientist nervously fingered the keys to the enclosure as she walked. Curious to what she had heard from Claire, Dr Aquel ascended the stairs to the top-viewing platform to see if she could find Raphael. He wasn't hard to spot. She could easily hear his screams of pain and anguish from where she was standing. With no time to lose, Dr Aquel ran back down the stairs and rushed to the staff entrance to the enclosure. She considered getting a tranquilizer gun first, but thought against it when she felt she didn't have enough time. The female fumbled with the keys, scrambling to try and unlock the enclosure door in the flashlight's soft glow.

With a simple click, the door swung open and she immediately ran in. She stopped to look at the creature a few feet from where he was lying. With her flashlight, she scanned the turtle's little body to see what the problem was. Her face scrunched up with emphatic pain when she saw his wound. She winced when she observed the broken bone sticking through the flesh of his left arm. No one could blame him for screaming. 

Taking action, Dr Aquel spoke urgently into her walkie-talkie, saying that she needed assistance from Dr Yesmal tonight. Raphael desperately needed an operation. When she had finished saying what needed to be said, all she could do was wait until help arrived. Dr Aquel stared at the boy from a distance, realising that he was starting to calm down… or rather starting to go into shock. She stepped forward and Raph flinched as a reaction to her hasty advance; not too sure of what she was going to do to him. Raphael's heart rate increased as his breathing became shallower, and soon it wasn't long till he realised that it would be safer to trust her than to fight.

"It hurts," the turtle managed to whisper through his pain. The scientist was taken aback for a moment when she heard his British accent. She had noticed it before when he had first arrived at the zoo, but after reading Sarah's report, she began to wonder how much humans had influenced and affected them. She could have sworn that when she heard the turtle's parents talking eight years ago, they each had American accents…

Dr Aquel shined the flashlight into his eyes and then to his wound, discovering that his skin had grown paler. Cautiously, she bent down to touch his clammy forehead and felt his rapid heart beat through his neck. Dr Aquel knew he was definitely going into shock and possibly unconsciousness from the pain, in which she needed to keep him awake to ensure he was going to make it through the night. 

"You're going to be okay. Help is on the way," Dr Aquel reassured him nonetheless. Looking at his face, she could tell he was slowly slipping away. She held onto both of his legs and elevated them, hoping that the blood would return to his brain so he could stay conscious. Dr Aquel really wanted to compress his wound so that he would stop losing blood, but she feared that it would be too painful to do that. 

"My dad's gonna be angry," Raphael said. The boy shuddered. "I feel cold," he complained softly as his body shook once again. 

"Why is he going to be angry?" Dr Aquel asked in an attempt to distract him from the pain by getting him to talk. 

"'Cause I hurt myself," Raphael stated as tears started to come to his eyes. "It really hurts…" he whispered and complained once again.

"I know it does," Dr Aquel answered while wondering when help was going to arrive. 

"Will I be able to fight?" Raphael asked worriedly. Dr Aquel furrowed her eyebrows, curious as to why the child wanted to know if he could fight or not. Either way, she didn't really feel like encouraging him, as she was worried that any aggressive behaviour might injure the others.

"You'll need an operation to put the bone back in, and then you'll have your arm in plaster. It should heal, don't worry," Dr Aquel assured him, though she didn't really answer his question. The turtle accepted what she had said for the moment and wiped his teary eyes with his movable right arm. Dr Aquel spotted Raphael's gash on his hand and grazed knuckles while he was wiping his face. "How did you cut your hand?" the scientist asked. Raphael didn't answer. "What were you doing? How did you get out here?" she asked calmly. Raphael didn't say a word. Although he was somewhat light headed, he still had enough sense to know not to destroy his family's plans for escape. The female scientist sighed, knowing that this turtle was just as stubborn as any human child around his age. 

Just at that moment, two other zoo keepers who usually worked in the reptile sector arrived. They both hurried over to the injured turtle, carrying with them a specialised stretcher. "Dr Yesmal's gonna here in five minutes. He's stuck in traffic," the zoo keeper reported, causing Dr Aquel to roll her eyes. They placed the stretcher beside Raphael, and on a count of three, he was lifted and transferred onto it. The turtle groaned in pain as his broken arm was placed neatly on his plastron so that they could carry him to the operating theatre safely. 

Raphael closed his eyes after being blinded by the strong lights in the staff building. "You're gonna be okay," Dr Aquel reassured him once again as she walked beside him. Before the turtle knew it, he was in the operating theatre. Raphael was quickly placed on some scales so that Dr Aquel could calculate the proper amount of anesthetic that would be needed, before he was placed on the operating table. 

"What happened?" Dr Yesmal asked when he finally arrived. Dr Aquel shrugged in response while she taped the gas mask to Raphael's face in preparation for the operation. All of a sudden Raphael began to freak out and panic, causing everyone to hold him down to the table in order to control him. "Turn the gas on!" Dr Yesmal ordered.

Raphael could feel his mind slip away when he began to breathe in the weird smelling fumes. His eyes fluttered and closed as he waited to peacefully fall unconscious. "Damn that's a bad break," was the last thing the turtle heard before he was knocked out cold by the gas.

*****

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At the zoo, glass prison room. 3am. 

It was cold and pitch black in the glass cell. No one was getting any sleep due to the fact that they knew something horribly wrong had happened with the escape plan. They hadn't heard from Raphael for hours…

The lights suddenly switched on. The turtles were disorientated for a few seconds, but when their eyes finally adjusted, they saw Dr Aquel standing beside the control panel. She pushed a button and the door to their cell opened, revealing Raphael in a portable cage. Everyone gasped when they saw Raph's plastered left arm in a sling, and his right hand bandaged up. The boy walked forward and the door to the cell closed once again. They thought Dr Aquel would turn the lights off soon after, but instead she approached their cell to observe them, obviously worried about Raph's well being. 

"What happened?" Leo asked; his voice filled with worry and shock.

"I didn't make the jump," Raphael said solemnly with his eyes looking at the ground. "I failed… I failed my first real mission," the turtle added softly.

"Raph, it's okay. I'm just glad to have you back. I was so worried about you," Venus whispered compassionately as she brought her son into a hug, being careful not to touch his arm. 

"Don't worry too much about it Raph. Maybe next time you-"

"There won't be a next time Leo!" Venus said to her husband angrily. "I knew this was a bad plan! Raphael's now badly injured and already you're thinking of making him do it all over again!" Venus accused. 

"What happened to your arm and hand?" Leo asked softly after a moment of silence.

"I grazed my knuckles while punching the grate and I tore my palm on the barb wire fence… I broke my arm and… and I could see the bone…" Raphael mumbled slowly. 

"An open fracture," Leo muttered to himself, realising the full extent of his injuries. "Do you know how long they said it would take to heal?" Leo asked.

"Why? So you can force him to jump from the tree again!?" Venus accused once again.

"I didn't mean it like that!" Leonardo replied angrily. "Look, we all know that Raphael is our key to getting out of here and-"

"Well he's not going to be anymore! And your certainly not going to try out your ludicrous plans on Diana either!" Venus interrupted Leo yet again with another angry response. 

"FINE! We'll just stay in this cell till the end of our lives! How do you like that plan?!" Leo argued back sarcastically. 

"Come here," Mike whispered to Raphael when the argument continued.

"Mum and dad are really angry with me, aren't they?" Raph asked timidly, trying his best to ignore the angry comments being passed back and forth behind him. Mike shook his head.

"They're frustrated, not angry. Trust me, they're just upset that somebody who they love dearly got badly injured tonight. They'll work through this, don't worry," Mike told the boy calmly before giving him a hug of his own. Diana hugged Raph around the waist, relieved that her brother had returned safely. 

Without any of them realising Dr Aquel's retreat, the lights were suddenly turned off and once again they were cast into total darkness. The arguing between Venus and Leo ceased for a few seconds, before it started once again. 

"I just don't want Raphael to be hurt any further, regardless of whether or not he's the only one who can get us out of here," Venus tried to reason with him.

"I understand that, but what other option do we have?!" Leo argued. In the dark, everyone heard the sound of the toilet flush.

"We have the option of not putting him in danger! That's the obligation we have as parents!" Venus said angrily back. The toilet flushed once again. Leo sighed.

"Well I don't know what other choice we have. It's too risky and unfair on Sarah's part if she comes to our rescue. And I don't even know if Donatello knows of our predicament!" Leo continued to argue in frustration.

"That's if Donatello even exists…" Raphael murmured. Leo and Venus fell silent, wondering how the boy could even suggest that. Leo was about to say something but the flushing of the toilet disrupted him.

"Diana will you stop mucking around with that toilet!" Leo barked. There was total silence. 

"Leo… Diana's sitting beside me…" Mike said carefully from the other side of the room from where the toilet was. Everyone was silent for a moment.

"…Then who keeps flushing it?" Leo asked only to have no response. Everyone jumped in surprise when the toilet flushed once again. All of a sudden, the cell's food tray abruptly slid into the prison. The food tray then slid out again, while at the same time the toilet flushed. "…Mike… Please tell me that's you…" Leo said, starting to become slightly freaked, especially when he couldn't see anything but darkness. 

"No… I think it's Raphael," Mike said shakily.

"Raph, will you cut it out!" Leo said irritably. 

"But it's not me!" Raph protested.

"I meant the other Raphael!" Mike suggested fearfully. Silence was heard once again.

"Mike, don't start," Venus warned him. 

"I swear Venus! I've seen him! He's here!" Mike exclaimed.

"My father?" Raphael asked, feeling confused. 

"Mike! Drop it!" Venus said seriously. The toilet flushed and the food tray slid in towards the cell with a jolt. "Whoever is doing that, stop it!" Venus yelled to no one in particular. The food tray shook and the toilet seat flapped up and down. Suddenly the toilet flushed and the food tray slid shut before opening again. The toilet seat continued to make a nose whilst the toilet flushed. The food tray then continuously slid in and out, each time becoming louder and louder than the last; building up and up with the noise being emitted from the toilet to form a crescendo of unexplained deafening sounds. Diana screamed in terror, having no clue as to what was happening.

Then, it stopped. Total silence. Soon Diana's sobs of confusion and terror started to be heard. "Hey… It's okay. It's okay," Raphael said to her, trying to calm her down. The boy could feel his little sister's tiny arms make their way around his shell; hugging onto him to feel some sort of comfort in the pitch black room. 

"This place is haunted," Mike suggested fearfully.

"Mike…" Leo warned him not to start.

"Haven't you ever seen a ghost movie? Ghosts only stay on earth if they have some reason to stay; something that's preventing them from moving on. And the longer it takes for the problem to be solved, the more and more pissed off the ghost becomes!" Mike worried, scaring himself. 

"Mike, will you just stop it!" Venus cried.

"Raph's still here and he's here for a reason!" Mike analysed fearfully, ignoring Venus' pleas to make him stop.

"Mike, you're scaring the children," Leonardo said, also wanting him to stop; though he wouldn't admit that he was slightly scared as well. 

"I know that I can't be the only one who's seen him! I bet Silver has!" Mike exclaimed, wanting someone to believe his theory.

"Mike, shut up!" Venus called out angrily before breaking down into sobs. She knew that what Mike had said could be true, yet she only wanted what was best for her son. Raph didn't need to hear this about his father. He had already been through enough for one night. 

Without another word, everyone slowly closed their tired eyes and went to sleep, wanting to forget what had occurred that night.


	22. Diana's Genetic Flaw

Rene – Raphael would have adopted his British accent from Leo, Venus and Mike. Before Raph was four, all of the adults had to frequently visit the surface to get food and supplies. Also, Mike kept going over to Sarah's apartment to watch TV (developing his obsession with cricket). So Mike probably would have been the first to adopt the accent, and then he influenced everyone around him (like he does). Yet between the ages of 4 and 8, the turtles kept coming into contact with humans more frequently, and in some cases, it would have been on a weekly, or maybe even daily basis because of how sought after they were. So Raph really would have developed his accent a lot in the last 4 years of his life. 

Now that you mention it, how did the original 4 turtles get American accents if they first visited the surface when they were 15? Shouldn't they have Japanese accents because of Splinter's influence? Or did American TV take over? Oh heck, I'm too tired for this! Just read the chapter already!!

Chapter 22: Diana's Genetic Flaw.

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A few weeks later. At the zoo. Diana's fourth birthday.

Venus sighed as she opened her eyes after a relatively good nights sleep. She smiled calmly when she found Leo's arm draped over her waist. Over the past couple of weeks, their relationship and marriage had been threatened and strained. But thankfully after carefully and painstakingly talking things through, they managed to overcome their difficulties and Leo had even admitted in looking forward to their new child. As Venus sounded another sigh, Leonardo awakened. He placidly placed his hand on her lower plastron, making Venus smile once again. She was now heavily pregnant, and it showed more so than ever before because this time she was housing two large eggs instead of one. 

Venus gave her husband an even wider grin as she moved in to kiss him gently on the lips. After romantically greeting each other for the morning, the two parents eyed their daughter sleeping soundly by her half-brother's side. The two turtles slowly stood up and crept over towards Diana. Their movement caused Michelangelo to wake up. The turtle in orange quickly grinned, knowing what was happening in an instant. The three adults clumped together and peered down at the little girl who had just turned four very, very recently. On the silent count of three they began.

"Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Diana. Happy birthday to you," the three adults sung in tune. Diana's eyes fluttered open and she gave a smile of excitement. 

"How's my birthday girl today?" Leo asked warmly. 

"Huh? What's, what's going on?" Raphael murmured his question as he groggily woke up.

"We're celebrating Diana's birthday," Leo said to the tired boy.

"Wha'?" Raphael uttered, still half asleep.

"Get with the times Raph," Mike said lightheartedly. Slowly the boy stood up and rubbed his tired eyes. He looked at the little girl beside him.

"'Appy Bir'day," Raphael said with a yawn. Mike simply chuckled and looked at Raph's arm to make sure that everything was okay. The left arm was no longer in a sling, yet it was still in plaster. His right hand however had completely healed, and now the only evidence of a past injury was a small scar on his palm from where the sharp bit of barbed wire had punctured his skin. 

Every week Dr Aquel gave him a checkup to see how his recovery was going. Raphael had once said that the female scientist was surprised at his rate of recovery and suspected that it wouldn't be long until the plaster would come off, much to his delight. The boy had tried his best to befriend Dr Aquel after Leonardo had convinced him that it might be advantageous to do so, yet the human remained clinical and closed off; not willing to completely connect on a friendship level. Venus was also given checkups quite frequently because of her pregnancy, though she was usually taken unconscious and therefore couldn't establish any friendly relationships with any of the scientists. After everything Leo and Venus had argued about weeks ago, it seemed that their only way out was still through Raphael. 

"Now Diana… As you've probably guessed, your mummy and I haven't been able to get you any presents. But… If there's anything that we can do for you, or something else that you'd like, we'll be glad to do it," Leo offered, bending down to her eye level. Diana nodded slowly, already knowing that there wasn't much that they could get her since they were trapped in the glass prison. The little girl bit her lip, trying to think of something else that she wanted; something that could be done while in captivity.

"Can… can I have a nim, nimjitzoo lesson? 'Cause Raph told me that he got a lesson when, when he was little, and and now that I'm older I can have a lesson 'cause I'm older," Diana did her best to reason with her father, not used to saying sentences that long. Leo gave her a gentle smile.

"Yeah, you're right. Raphael was getting ninjitsu lessons when he was your age. You too would have been taught earlier if we hadn't been captured but… I'm sure we can make an exception today," Leo agreed to his daughter's request. Diana smiled brightly, completely excited that she was going to get a proper lesson instead of just following others all the time. Leo was also anxious to teach her, curious to see exactly how much she already knew. 

"Can I have a ninjitsu lesson?" Raphael tried his luck. Leo looked at his arm and shook his head, not wanting to take his chances with both his injury and the scientists.

"We could do another meditation session if you like," Venus offered. Raph sighed and nodded his head. Ever since he'd been in the glass prison he had been working on improving the spiritual side of his body and mind, and although to him it seemed quite tedious, Venus kept reassuring him that he was making a lot of progress and was growing stronger with every lesson.

With a quick glance between Leo and Venus, Leo took Diana to one side of the cell while Venus and Raph occupied the other. Michelangelo decided to watch Diana's lesson, also curious to see what she had picked up and remembered over the years. It was clear within the next couple of minutes that Diana definitely had a strong flare for learning. Leonardo grinned as his daughter reminded him of himself. Fighting didn't come naturally for Diana, yet she had the dedication towards the martial art and therefore would strive to become better at unarmed combat anyway. 

Dr Yesmal entered the outside room causing the turtles to immediately stop their training. He gave them all a quick stare before letting them out into the outside enclosure for the day. Instantly Diana ran out on to the grass, completely exhilarated by the fact that today was her birthday and that she had just received her first official martial arts lesson. It wasn't long till she tried out her new moves with Raphael, who in turn was grateful that he was getting some sparring while in captivity. The three adults chuckled when Diana brought her brother's right hand into a wrist lock; a move that seemingly came naturally to her now. Leonardo frowned and lightheartedly told the boy that he should know better.

Silver watched the joyous occasion from afar, not really wanting to get involved even though Mike gave him more of a welcoming glance. The ape sighed as he tried to push back the memories of his own family that were quickly resurfacing from the dark regions of his mind. Quickly becoming lonely, Silver headed to the pond wanting a drink of water. He carefully kneeled by the water's edge and outstretched an arm. Silver tried his best to bring some water to his mouth but it kept slipping through his fingers. So he moved in closer and outstretched his arm even further. All of a sudden, Silver lost his grip on the moss-covered rocks he was holding onto and fell headfirst into the pond. 

The ape started to panic and flailed his arms about, wanting to remain afloat. Like most primates, Silver couldn't swim… even if his life depended on it. Silver struggled to keep his head above the surface. His legs floundered and scraped against the edge of the deep pond. His face dipped below for a few seconds while his lungs quickly took on water. Flapping his arms furiously, Silver brought his head above the water line again and gasped awkwardly. 

All of the turtles were by his side within seconds. Both Leo and Mike had jumped in, desperate to help the drowning primate. Silver panicked even more and grabbed onto Leo's shell with a terrified grasp, causing Leo to sink with him. While Leo tried to get Silver off his back, Venus outstretched her hand from the water's edge. Mike managed to grab one of Silver's frightened arms and strongly pulled the ape towards Venus. Completely overwhelmed by terror, Silver lunged at Venus' hand and almost made her fall into the pond as well. Yet she maintained her ground. With a heave, she managed to yank Silver out of the water entirely. Mike and Leo breathed a sigh of relief and, after an irked glance was shared between them, both of the turtles calmly exited the deep pond.

Raphael and Diana, whom had stopped playing to observe the incident, backed away when Silver collapsed to the ground utterly scared and exhausted. As Diana took a step backward, a sharp pain suddenly radiated from her heel. She looked underneath her foot and found a bee helplessly buzzing around amongst the grass blades; trying it's best to fly away before it died. The girl sat down on the ground to observe both her foot and the action in front of her.

"What happened?" Mike asked as Silver continued to gasp for air. 

"Can't swim," Silver managed to utter once he had relaxed a little.

"Well aren't you glad that you're sharing your enclosure with water loving reptiles," Leo said rhetorically, hoping that Silver would give him more respect now that he had saved his life. Raphael smirked at Silver, disbelieving the fact that he didn't know how to swim or stay afloat for that matter. The boy smiled and looked at Diana beside him. She was lying on the ground gasping for air. Raphael giggled at her impersonation of Silver… that was until he realised that Diana wasn't fooling around. 

Raph's eyes widened with fear when he observed some swelling starting to develop around her eye area. The boy practically jumped back when Diana entered a coughing fit before beginning to wheeze dangerously. "Diana!" Raph screamed his sister's name. Leo, Venus and Mike left Silver's side and ran over to the two children, worried about what was happening. Diana's airways tightened further, causing the turtle to increase her wheezing. 

"Diana! What's happening?" Mike asked, starting to panic. Leo quickly looked around, trying to find an answer as to what was going on with his daughter. Looking very closely at the grass beneath her feet, Leo found the recently dead bee that had stung Diana. Leo picked it up and showed the rest of the group. "Bee sting allergy," Mike stated more to himself than anyone else.

Panicking, Leo looked up at the few people who stood on the top-viewing platform. "Help!" Leo called to them knowing that aiding his daughter was completely out of his league. The humans just stared at him and continued to simply observe action in the enclosure. "Help us! She needs help!" Leo yelled at their blank faces as tears of defeat slowly came to his eyes. "HELP!" Leo screamed once again. 

Dr Aquel was going up the stairs to the viewing deck so that she could start her keeper talk, when finally a visitor who had been watching the whole thing told her that something was wrong with the turtles. The female scientist dropped everything and ran up the rest of the stairs to see if the rumour was true. Leonardo immediately noticed her in the crowd. "Help!" he called to her. 

With no time to lose, Dr Aquel bolted back down the stairs, got out her keys and unlocked the enclosure doors. Worried, she started to run over to the panicking turtles. Suddenly she froze. There she was, standing in an enclosure with highly dangerous animals completely unarmed. Turning around, she realised she had left the enclosure door wide open. At any given instant, they could all escape, and Dr Aquel knew that she couldn't do anything about it if the turtle's chose to do that.

"Help," Leo called to her again. Dr Aquel sighed and gave into the reptile's request, feeling as though they weren't focused on escaping right at that moment. The woman cautiously approached them. The turtle's moved away from Diana to make the scientist feel more comfortable. Anything to help save Diana. Dr Aquel obseved the girl's wheezing and coughs, along with the swelling and itching that was slowly developing on her body. It was clear to her that if Diana didn't receive medical treatment soon, then she was going to die. 

"She was stung by a bee," Mike informed her quietly, scared of his niece's future. Suddenly everything clicked in Dr Aquel's mind. Diana was showing the typical signs for severe bee sting allergy. Dr Aquel knew that Diana was going to need two injections; a dose of epinephrine to relax her heart and airways, along with a shot of an antihistamine. Knowing that she didn't have much time, Dr Aquel picked up Diana and cradled the turtle safely in her arms. 

As she swiftly headed for the exit, Leonardo and Venus tried to follow. Dr Aquel stopped and looked at them, knowing that their parental instincts had taken over. She understood perfectly well why they wanted to come, however given their circumstances, she definitely couldn't allow that. "I'll go and make sure she'll be okay," Raphael said while stepping towards Dr Aquel. "She needs to check my arm anyway," Raphael reasoned with the others. Leo and Venus sadly nodded.

"Please take good care of her," Venus begged Dr Aquel.

"Don't worry. I won't let you down," Dr Aquel replied quickly. With that said, the female scientist left the enclosure along with Diana and Raphael, locking the door behind her. 

Silver grumbled as he stood up, nearly fully recovered from his slip in the pond. With a quick movement of his shoulders and waist, the ape shook his fur until it was almost dry. Mike had to try really hard not to laugh at his fuzzed up fur. The ape didn't look at the three turtles remaining, yet instead he stared at the enclosure door that was open only a few seconds ago.

"Why didn't you escape!" Silver suddenly turned to yell at them. "She left the door wide open! We could have gotten out! Why did you let her go?!" Silver wailed uncontrollably.

"And risk the life of my daughter!?" Leo yelled straight back. 

"So? One life to save five. Seems reasonable to me," Silver argued.

"How dare you," Leo said simply with a deadly tone. "How dare you say that after we saved your life," Leo seethed quietly. The turtle turned his back to the ape and walked away to another part of the enclosure, not wanting to hear anymore of Silver's ungratefulness. Venus and Mike quickly followed; both too worried about Diana's fate to argue with Silver.

*****

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Half an hour later.

Dr Aquel entered the operating theatre and stared at the two preadolescent turtles that were sitting quietly on their separate white, stiff beds. She slowly made her way over to Diana. Already she could see a vast improvement. The turtle was no longer wheezing and the swelling and itching had subsided. Dr Aquel sighed, knowing that she had saved the girl just in enough time. There wasn't much she could do after she had injected Diana with everything she would need. So for the next couple of nerve-racking minutes she decided to check up on Raphael's arm. 

"Are you feeling okay now?" Dr Aquel asked Diana. The little turtle simply nodded, still shaken up about everything that had happened. 

"Will she be alright?" Raphael asked the scientist. Dr Aquel looked at him and nodded.

"She'll be fine. Just make sure she stays away from bees," Dr Aquel humored him. 

"It's my birthday today," Diana said quietly, still proud of her new age. 

"Really?!" Dr Aquel said with mock enthusiasm, not resisting the urge to play along with the childlike creature. Diana grinned and nodded. "How old are you now?" She asked. Diana raised her hand, though when she realised she only had three fingers, she stuck up her thumb from the other hand. Dr Aquel smiled at her antics. 

"So, Birthday Girl. Do you want anything special?" Dr Aquel asked, knowing that the turtle had already had a rough day. Diana held a thoughtful expression before looking curiously to Raphael who was mouthing the word 'pizza'. Diana giggled.

"Pizza!" She said with a wide grin on her face. Dr Aquel stared at her for a moment before turning to look at Raphael.

"You guys eat pizza?" she asked the older turtle of the two for confirmation. 

"Doesn't everybody?" Raphael replied with a smile. Dr Aquel let out a sigh, knowing it would be difficult to fulfill their request.

"Okay then," she said uncertainly. "I'll see if I can bring you some tonight. No promises though," Dr Aquel relented. "Hmm… Dr Yesmal's not going to like this," Dr Aquel said cheekily.

"Who's Dr Yesmal?" Diana asked innocently. As if on cue, Dr Yesmal entered the room.

"I heard you entered the enclosure without a tranquilizer gun," Dr Yesmal said briskly as he headed over to his coworker. 

"Yeah, it was an emergency. We almost lost the white female," Dr Aquel informed him.

"Diana," Raphael said.

"What?" Dr Aquel looked at him without thinking.

"Her name's Diana," Raphael told the two scientists. Dr Yesmal ignored him and continued to talk to his partner.

"What did she nearly die from? What happened?" Dr Yesmal asked worriedly.

"She has a severe allergy to bee stings," Dr Aquel said.

"That's not good…" Dr Yesmal muttered to himself. "Do you think that the others could be allergic?" Dr Yesmal asked.

"I don't know. Maybe… It might have something to do with their mutation or genes," she suggested. Dr Yesmal remained quiet for quite a while. Raphael and Diana looked nervously at the two scientists.

"We really should get a second opinion on this. I don't want to risk losing one again," he said.

"Me neither," Dr Aquel admitted.

"I'll get in contact with a genetic expert. Get them to analyse the problem. In the meantime though, I want you to slowly immunise the white female over the next couple of weeks," Dr Yesmal instructed.

"Yeah okay," she agreed. "But who are you thinking of calling?"

"Dr Quease," Dr Yesmal answered.

"Dr Quease!? But he's a loony! He's just so… unorthodox," Dr Aquel protested. 

"He's also the only scientist who has studied the insides of these creatures. If anyone can detect flaws in their genetic makeup, Dr Quease is the one," Dr Yesmal explained. Dr Aquel frowned and shook her head. "Look, there isn't much of a choice here. My decision is final," Dr Yesmal said before exiting the room. 

Raphael and Diana nervously stared at Dr Aquel. "Is Dr Quease bad?" Raphael asked.

"Don't worry about it," she murmured in response. 

"I'm hungry," Diana complained. Suddenly Dr Aquel came up with an idea. 

"You know, I have some pieces of apple in my pocket. But to get them, you have to play a game," Dr Aquel tried to entice the little female turtle. Diana smiled in agreement. Raphael looked on with curiosity.

"Okay then, lift your arms up," Dr Aquel instructed. Diana did what she was told. "Good girl," Dr Aquel praised before giving Diana a piece of apple. "Now, stand up… Good girl," Diana did what she was told again and received another piece of apple. "Now, lift up your right leg… your other right leg," Dr Aquel said with a smile when Diana raised her left. The turtle swapped legs quickly, wanting another slice of fresh fruit. "Good girl," Dr Aquel praised and gave the girl another piece of food.

At first Raphael thought nothing of it, but as Dr Aquel kept asking Diana to do things, praising her after each one, he soon came to the horrible realisation that Diana was being trained and tamed within the scientists' presence. All of a sudden he understood why his parents wanted to get out of the zoo as soon as possible. 


	23. The Plan

A/N: Who ever said that Donny was going to rescue them? Who ever said that they were going to be rescued? Muwahahaha!

Rene – Dr Quease is actually from NT:TNM. He was in a number of episodes and on one occasion he even cloned all five of the turtles. Also, if you remember from the Glass Prison, Dr Quease was the one who was assigned to study Raphael's remains. I've got a bio about him on my webpage (go to miscellaneous, then next mutation for beginners ;)

In The Clouds – Yes, Donny would have an Australian accent by now ^_^

Mica – With Venus and her eggs, you know how a child is genetically half of both of it's parents? Well what Venus can sense is the father's half of the child's genetic structure. Sort of like what they say on CSI where a criminal will leave a part of himself at the crime scene. Well, part of the father's chi energy is left in the child, and Venus can sense the other person chi inside herself… if what I just wrote makes any sense whatsoever 0_o Just nod. ^_^ 

The ulna is one of the bones in your forearm. There are two bones in your lower arm, the radius and the ulna. The radius is on the thumb side while the ulna is on the pinky side (I think… unless it's the other way around). The ulna is the one that breaks more often. Why Raph said that about Don is that Raph doesn't think much of him. All his life he's heard about Don this and Don that, and he's just starting to get angry at everything 'cause his parents think of him so highly even though Donatello hasn't done anything; Raph has lost his faith in Don. Also, even if Raph's ghost did work the control panel, the turtles would still be stuck in the enclosure outside. They'd still need the keys for the staff door. Remember that in the Glass Prison, the pond is deep enough for Mike to tread water. 

Um… I think that's everything… Now on with the fic!

Chapter 23: The Plan.

"Diana, you're okay!" Venus exclaimed when Diana and Raphael returned to their glass cell towards the end of the day. The little girl grinned and nodded before accepting a long hug from her mother. 

"Did Dr Aquel take care of you okay?" Leo questioned his daughter lightly. Diana smiled once again.

"We, we played a game," Diana replied with a grin.

"A game!?" Leo repeated with concern, yet he covered his worried tone of voice with a false sense of enthusiasm. Diana nodded happily.

"And, and I got, I got food," Diana tried to explain. Leonardo raised an eye-ridge.

"She tried to train her Dad," Raphael told Leo properly. Everyone was silent for the next few seconds afterwards.

"What did Aquel make her do?" Venus asked Raphael quietly.

"Just a number of simple things, like lift up your arms, hop on one foot. Things like that," Raphael summarised not knowing how the others would react. Leo, Venus and Mike fell silent once again.

"So she didn't hurt her or anything?" Leo asked, wanting to make sure. Raph shook his head. Leo sighed. He definitely didn't like the fact that Diana was being trained just like Silver was, yet he couldn't tell the child not to obey the scientists' wishes either. Sure he disliked the thought that Diana was going to be trained and disrespected, yet when Dr Aquel could be a major key in getting out of captivity, Leo didn't exactly want to ruin those plans by telling his daughter to not listen to her. In fact, if anything, he wanted Dr Aquel to know each and every one of them better. The turtle frowned nonetheless and sighed once again, showing his distaste and confusion for the situation they were in. 

"You angry?" Raph asked. Leo simply grunted and looked away. He locked eyes with Silver before turning his gaze towards the floor. 

__

'Silver was right,' Leo thought sadly. _'They are going to start with Diana,' _Leo sighed. Dr Aquel suddenly entered the outside room. Leo immediately glared at her, but his eyes began to soften when he saw the large pizza she was carrying. The female scientist opened the thick cardboard box and placed the long awaited meal into the food tray piece by piece. With a smile towards Diana, she slid the tray into the cell, allowing the turtles to get their hands on it.

"Why do we deserve this wonderful privilege?" Mike asked curiously with a lighthearted attitude as he immediately moved in for a slice of scrumptious pizza. 

"Cause it's my birthday!" Diana answered whilst jumping up and down in excitement.

"Dr Aquel asked her if she wanted anything special and Diana told her to bring pizza," Raphael explained to them fully.

"Nice," Mike agreed with the girl's decision before tucking into the highly anticipated pizza slice. He groaned with ecstasy as he chewed causing Venus and Leo to roll their eyes at his melodramatics. "Man, I never knew how much I missed you," Mike said to the gnawed pizza slice before biting into it again. 

"We have to get out of here soon," Leo said worriedly as he reached for a slice. 

"Hey, I'm not complaining right now," Mike said right before he bit into his pizza again.

*****

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Next day at the zoo.

Dr Quease scrolled down the computer screen while expertly reading Diana's DNA code. He stopped at a certain place, stared at the monitor, then scribbled something down on his jumbled notebook. This definitely wasn't the first time he'd studied the turtles. In fact, he was most likely one of the first scientists to learn of their existence considering that he used to be an old enemy of theirs when he had joined forces with their main adversary, Dragon Lord. Although that was a very long time ago, he was fascinated by their mutation back then, and he was still fascinated with them now. 

"How's it coming along?" Dr Yesmal asked Dr Quease as he quietly entered the research room. 

"Interesting…" Dr Quease murmured to himself, ignoring Dr Yesmal for the time being.

"What is?" Dr Yesmal urged.

"Well… in humans, usually it's almost impossible to tell whether or not they are allergic to bee stings as the trait is not found in the genes and solely relies on the individual. However, with these turtles, there seems to be an inefficiency or a negative mutation found in the genetic code which prohibits or affects the reaction to produce antibodies for the allergen, which in this case is the bee sting," Dr Quease explained as he scribbled down a few more notes.

"So can this be carried on to other generations?" Dr Yesmal asked.

"Yes, it seems to act like an inherited disease. Leonardo has it also," Dr Quease confirmed. Dr Yesmal gave him a weird and confused look.

"Leonardo?"

"Oh… The um… Alpha, blue male," Dr Quease corrected himself while clearing his throat. Dr Yesmal wasn't convinced.

"Why did you call him Leonardo?" Dr Yesmal asked suspiciously.

"Well… uh, you know. After Leonardo Da Vinci. I name all my specimens after famous scientists. It's just a thing that I do. I think it suits him, 'cause he's the leader and he's the one who comes up with all the plans…" Dr Quease covered up and rambled on. Dr Yesmal simply nodded his head and dropped the subject. "I found something else that is worrying," Dr Quease suddenly said, getting Dr Yesmal's immediate attention.

"What?" he asked.

"Ve… The aqua female is heterozygous for the gene that carries albinism. The preadolescent red male and the white female are also heterozygous, so if you plan to breed the red and the white later on, then there's a twenty-five percent chance the resulting offspring is an albino," Dr Quease summarised scientifically, almost falling into the trap of calling Venus by her real name. Dr Yesmal sighed and pondered the possible implications that could occur in the future.

"I was wondering… We've always had a job position available ever since Dr Welner was fired, and I think that you'd be really valuable to our team here at the zoo. Would you like to work here and research more about these mutations?" Dr Yesmal offered. 

"I'd be honoured to," Dr Quease answered almost instantly. Yesmal smiled.

"Good. Follow me. I'll show you around," Dr Yesmal offered. Quease nodded his head and followed his new coworker into the glass prison room. Yesmal stopped beside the metal control panel and began to explain to him the basic functions of the electronic device, yet Dr Quease was more fascinated with the frozen expressions of fear and confusion he was receiving from the three adult turtles in the cell. 

*****

"What's he doing here?" Mike asked, both shocked and angry at the sudden sight of Dr Quease.

"I don't know," Venus murmured, beginning to get worried as she started to remember the last time she saw the white-haired scientist. 

"Yesmal said that he was coming so that he could do some gen…genetic research," Raphael told the others what he heard the other day.

"We have to get out of here soon," Leo said for the umpteenth time during the last twenty-four hours. 

"Why? Is Dr Quease bad?" Raphael asked the question that Dr Aquel had failed to answer the previous day.

"He used to be an enemy of ours," Venus started to fill him in.

"Dr Quease was kidnapped by Dragon Lord and was forced to work with him. Sometimes he was alright, but other times… He's a different type of scientist. He likes to dissect things while Yesmal and Aquel prefer to simply observe. When it comes down to it, no matter how hard he tries to convince you, you just can't trust him," Leonardo explained slowly in a generalised fashion. Leo looked to Raphael and saw the boy give a nod, showing that he accepted everything that he'd just been told. Diana shuddered.

"He, he looks scary," Diana said with her naïvely prejudiced perspective.

"He stinks too," Michelangelo followed up. Venus chuckled in agreement. 

To no ones surprise, the steel doors behind them opened. With little reluctance, the five turtles left the cramped glass jail cell and headed out into the morning sunshine. Completely determined, Leonardo made a beeline for Silver. "We need a new plan to get out of here," Leo said simplicity and directness. Silver was taken aback for a moment by his straight forward attitude, but he quickly covered his shock up with a pleased expression.

"So what do you have in mind, Greenie?" Silver asked in a weary tone. Leonardo stared blankly at the ape before deciding to sit down on the grass. Mike, Venus and even Silver sat down also in order to form a communal circle. "What's with the sudden urgency? Has it got something to do with the new scientist?" Silver pondered and probed for answers.

"His name is Dr Quease. He's an old enemy of ours. He cloned us, tried to dissect us and even attempted to feed us to Dragon Lord," Mike started to explain.

"Who?" Silver asked, quickly becoming horribly confused.

"Dragon Lord. He was the leader of a dragon clan that had been trapped in a magical mirror by Venus' Master's ancestors who-"

"Oookay. Just stop right there," Silver said while rolling his eyes. "Are there any other weirdo enemies of yours that you haven't told me about?" Silver asked, not showing his slight curiosity. The three turtles fell silent for a brief few seconds.

"There were a couple of vampires that we fought but-"

"Oookay. Listen. I don't really care about your past mythological enemies that you supposedly fought. I just want to know the things that are relevant to me. So does this Dr Quease guy pose a threat to me or not?" Silver interrupted Michelangelo so he could get a simple answer and not a long and rather bizarre story. The three turtle frowned at the ape's rudeness. 

"Well… to put it simply, I don't want to be a captured specimen of Dr Quease and I don't think you would like to be one either," Leonardo said plainly, starting to loose his patience with the silvery furred primate.

"Alright, so what do you have in mind?" Silver asked, bringing the conversation full circle. The three adult turtles fell silent once again.

"Halloween's next week," Mike said more to himself than to anyone else. Leo's eye-ridge furrowed as he pondered over that fact.

"Halloween… Sneaking around New York be much easier if we choose to escape that night," Leo told the group.

"How so?" Silver asked, not seeing the logic behind the turtle's words. Leo looked around and saw Dr Aquel observing them from the top-viewing platform. All of a sudden, everything he was thinking about in his mind clicked together to form a scheme. Not wanting his plan to be heard, the group gathered around even closer while he whispered his thoughts. After a few minutes of hushed debating and refining, the plan was finalised. They were going to escape on Halloween. That was that. If they waited any longer, then Venus might lay her eggs, causing massive problems for any escape attempt. It had to be soon. It had to be Halloween. 

The group broke apart once everything was discussed and also to stop any growing suspicions from Dr Aquel who was still watching. Venus and Leo walked off hand in hand, Mike headed over to Diana and Raphael to join in their game though he was most likely also going to relay what had just been discussed, while Silver trudged to another part of the enclosure entirely in order to return to his antisocial isolated life.

"I'm worried," Venus told Leo.

"Everything will work out this time. This plan is safer than the last. It should work," Leo said, more to convince himself rather than her.

"It's not that. I mean… is it really going to be worth it in the long run?" Venus asked quietly. She noticed Leo's confused expression and sighed. "Leo… as much as I hate to admit it, these scientists are actually doing good for our species. They're widening the gene pool. They're going to make sure that our species will survive…" Venus spoke her thoughts with a sad tone. 

"But Venus… You know that it's only going to be a matter of time before they start experimenting on Diana and Raphael. Diana's the only other female so…" Leo trailed off after finding it incredibly difficult and disturbing to continue. "…I know what you mean though…" Leo added so softly that Venus almost didn't hear it. 

"If we leave, then our species will pretty much be doomed…" Venus reasoned.

"But if we stay, our lifestyle and livelihood of being a ninja will eventually become nonexistent," Leo summarised correctly. The two turtles fell silent for a moment. They both looked over to Mike, Raphael and Diana who were talking near the pond. 

"I'm just worried about our future, that's all," Venus said remorsefully.

"Well… We've done our part. The future of our species now in Raph and Diana's hands. In the end it's going to be their decision on what to do. And that's all we can ask of them," Leo said grimly. "But… it's not fair for them to be trapped here… and it's not fair for Silver," Leo added.

"It scares me when I look at him sometimes… To think that one day maybe we'll be in the same predicament he's in… I'd hate to be the last of my kind," Venus said quietly so Silver couldn't possibly overhear. Leonardo nodded slowly in agreement.

"But we're luckier than him. We've got a chance of survival… I know what you mean though… We'd definitely survive if we stay, but at what cost? I don't want to see you and Diana be used like guinea pigs. You don't want that existence, do you?" Leo asked her.

"No," Venus said firmly. "We should leave," Venus confirmed her decision after realising that Leo was right. If they stayed, their species would survive yet the decisions would be completely up to the scientists, and that's what scared her to no end. Although deciding to escape was a really bad move when taking into account all of the future genetic implications, the ultimate decision would rest on the two children, and not in the hands of humans. 

*****

__

Later that night.

Dr Quease sat at his computer to see if he could find any other genetic problems in Raphael's DNA. He yawned as he scrolled down the screen, unable to find anything significant. Beginning to get bored, Dr Quease inserted a floppy disk that contained information about the boy's father. When the disk was booted up, the scientist searched through the deceased turtle's recorded DNA code to try and see if there were any defects that could have been passed on to his son. 

Dr Quease wrapped the coat around his shoulders tighter when a cold chill was felt in the room. He stopped scrolling when he came to a certain section of the encoded words. Grabbing a pen, he removed his eyes from the screen so he could jot down a few quick notes onto his cluttered pad. When he looked back to the screen, he saw him; Raphael. Dr Quease froze as he stared at the reflection of the dead turtle in the computer screen. Partly scared, he turned around anyway only to find that no one, or no turtle was behind him. Shuddering, he turned back to the computer screen only to find that the turtle's presence was gone and had been replaced by a faint reflection of himself and the room. 

Dr Quease almost laughed out loud at himself for getting so scared over something so silly. Shaking his head at his wild imagination, Dr Quease continued his research. Yet as he worked on, he couldn't forget the sight he had just encountered. Raphael looked angry…

*****

__

A few days later at the zoo; the 29th of October. 

Raphael grinned as Dr Aquel started to take the plaster off around his arm. After a couple of minutes of difficulty, for the first time in weeks Raphael could finally see for himself how his arm had healed. Although the muscles had partly withered, all that he could see were the five stitches that closed the wound where the bone had once poked through. After a thorough inspection and a smile, Dr Aquel removed the stitches with a pair of simple scissors. 

"There," she said as she snipped the last strand. "That should be about it. You know, you healed really fast and nicely," Dr Aquel complemented the boy. Raph just gave her a simple smile. "Are you feeling alright now?" Dr Aquel asked Diana who was also brought into the operating theater so she could start being immunised against bee stings. The female scientist decided to tend to both turtles at the same time to lessen the stress that could be experienced by either one of them; hoping that one would calm the other. The little girl nodded in response. 

"My, my throat hurts," Diana said quietly before heaving out a few coughs. 

"Well that's to be expected. It may be really uncomfortable now, but the more we do this, the less painful it's going to be and the less the chance your going to be affected by a bee in the future," Dr Aquel tried to explain to the girl simply. Diana simply pouted and nodded her head even though she didn't understand everything. "But don't worry. You're not alone. We might have to immunise your dad for bee sting later on," Dr Aquel added. Raph was about to ask why when he was interrupted. Raphael, Diana and Dr Aquel turned their heads towards the door as Dr Quease entered. "What are you doing here?" Dr Aquel asked.

"I'm going to inject tracking devices into the youngsters. It hasn't been done yet," Dr Quease said with an arrogant tone. 

"But Dr Yesmal and I discussed this and we decided that it wasn't necessary. It was needed for the adults, but not for these two," Dr Aquel defended.

"Well, Dr Yesmal's changed his mind," Dr Quease rebutted.

"But these two turtles are under my control right now and I'm not going to let you do this. You're going to disturb them and stress them out," Dr Aquel argued, thinking of Raph and Diana's well being. 

"Well excuse me, but my job contract states that I can overrule your decisions as you are a lower rank than me," Dr Quease said smartly.

"What!?" Dr Aquel said with a shocked and annoyed tone.

"Take it up with Dr Yesmal, not me. I'm just doing my job," Dr Quease informed her. With swift and unforgiving strides, he moved over to Diana's bedside and pulled out a needle. She squirmed in fright when he roughly held her upper arm. Diana tried to pull away, but that only succeeded in Dr Quease holding on to her even tighter.

"Hey! Let her go!" Raphael yelled angrily when Diana started to cry. With a quick jab, Dr Quease completed the injection and Diana now had a tracking device implanted in her arm. 

"Stop this! You're hurting them!" Dr Aquel argued. 

"Will you just let me get this over with already?" Dr Quease said more as a command than a question. Dr Aquel gave him a glare and helped Dr Quease in keeping Raphael still long enough to receive his injection. Although she hated his unorthodox approaches, she knew that if she disobeyed her superior she'd soon find herself without a job. 


	24. Halloween

Rene – Actually it's quite the opposite. I've just finished my school holidays and now I'm back at school ^_^ In Australia, the school year begins at the start of the year, not halfway through, so our big holiday summer break happens from December through to the start of February. The reason why the last update was delayed a bit was because I went down to Canberra (Australia's capital city) for a couple of days to * ahem * visit a zoo (yes, how ironic) and go behind the scenes to pat 3 cheetahs for 15 minutes!! While I was at it, I fed the tigers and brown bears as well… yes, I still have all my limbs. I'll have to add a photo of it to my website profile :o) 

Pretender Fanatic – Yes, Raph's ghost still has his shell. He physically looks like he did the moment he died; therefore he has the bullet hole, but anything done postmortem doesn't count. Hope you enjoyed your tour behind the scenes of a zoo :o) Basically zoo keepers start off the day by cleaning the enclosures and hiding the animal's food for behavioural enrichment purposes. Then they do food prep to get ready the food needed for the next day. Around lunch time, depending on their roster or particular job they'll do a keeper talk, while in the afternoon they do odd bits and pieces, like paper work, making toys for the animals, or training the animals that aren't out in the enclosure that day. It really depends on what section of the zoo they work in. 

Chapter 24: Halloween.

__

Halloween. Nearly 8pm.

"So are we still going through with this?" Michelangelo asked while Leonardo stared obsessively at the video camera's red power light. The turtle in blue nodded wordlessly. 

"Do you know what you have to do?" Venus asked Raphael and Diana worriedly. The two children said nothing and nodded nervously. All fell silent as they joined in with Leo in staring at the power light. It suddenly turned off. 

"C'mon let's move it!" Leo commanded swiftly. In an instant he was hurriedly removing the metal grate that covered the air vent. 

"Is the fan on?" Raphael asked nervously. Leonardo quickly looked down the vent.

"No," he answered affirmatively. 

"Then put me in feet first," Raph suggested. Leo gave the boy a quizzical look before obliging. He picked Raph up and with a little trouble, slid Raph feet first into the air vent. When the boy had slid past the fan, Leo then proceeded to place Diana in as well. 

"Good luck," Venus and Leo wished their daughter as she also disappeared into the metal shaft. 

Raphael awkwardly moved through the air vent on his back. He smiled with success when he felt the metal grate at the end of the tunnel with his heels. With a grunt of effort, Raphael smashed the grate open with a swift kick, allowing himself to progress into the next phase of the plan while also preventing himself from badly grazing his knuckles again. 

Raphael gave Diana a comforting smile as he helped her out of the air vent. "Do you remember what to do?" the boy whispered to his half-sister while he replaced the metal grate. Raphael turned around in time to see her nod. The girl scrunched up her face and began to cry on cue. This was all part of the plan. Diana was to lure the trusting Dr Aquel into the enclosure, where Raphael would wait in the shadows ready to steal the scientists' keys and render her unconscious. When they first heard the plan, both Raphael and Diana weren't too comfortable about treating Dr Aquel like that, but when the three adults informed them that deceit was simply a role that ninjas sometimes played and that it was crucial for the mission, the two children just accepted the facts as they were. 

Raphael hid in a corner near the enclosure's staff entry door while Diana wailed and cried, completely visible in the dim moonlight. She continued to make a loud fuss for about a minute before something finally dawned on Raphael. The plan was doomed to fail.

"Diana! Stop!" Raphael hissed at her from the shadows. Diana stopped her false crying and stared at her brother in confusion. 

"But… But Daddy said…" Diana protested, getting nervous. 

"It's not going to work. The plan was made before we got the tracking devices injected into us. Hiding is useless! They'll already know where we are!" Raphael panicked while he tried to explain everything to his confused sister. With a rushed determination, Raphael tried to think of an alternate plan. He ended up staring at the tree. It was their only chance to escape… 

Raphael ran over to the trunk of the tree, and with nervous and scared hands he pulled himself up. "Raph…" Diana whispered to him in a frightened tone, knowing what happened the last time he tried to attempt the stunt. Raph stopped and looked at his sister's worried face.

"Don't worry. Just stay there. I'll be back," Raph spoke to her as calmly as he could even though his heart was beating rapidly. He knew that they had already wasted two of the four minutes of the video camera's down time. Shaking partly from fright and from the cold night air, Raphael continued to climb until he reached the highest branch that could support his weight. His body froze with fear when he looked down towards the ground, remembering the pain and suffering he endured weeks ago. He gulped and closed his eyes, trying his best to focus his mind on the task at hand. He didn't have time to freak out right now. He needed to free his family. 

Raph breathed in and out, quickly putting into use the meditation training he'd received since his stay in the glass prison. When he reopened his eyes, confidence and tranquillity filled every bone of his body. The turtle slowly bent his legs and jumped the leap of faith. With a calm and relaxed persona, the boy landed safely on the forty-five degree angled fence attached to the perimeter wall, just missing the dangerous barbed wire. Raphael looked at the jump he'd just made, completely stunned by what he had just achieved. With a proud smile, he stepped onto the wooden boardwalk and ran over to the top of the stairs before quickly descending. 

__

'31, 32, 33, 34,' he counted roughly how many seconds had passed and calculated approximately how much time he had left before the video cameras were fully functional again. Raphael continued to run, following the wall until he came to a wooden fence and a padlocked door labeled 'staff only'. The boy frowned at the obstacle. Thinking of a solution, he took a few steps back, then rushed at the door and performed a solid forward flying kick within the last moment. The wooden door splintered around where the padlock was, and from there all Raphael had to do was slam the door again with all his body weight, leading by the shoulder.

Raphael entered the large building relatively easily. He squinted his eyes the first time he entered the white painted corridor, and froze when he heard some footsteps being emitted from another room. Not wanting to waste time, Raphael bolted down the hallway as soundlessly as possible. He entered the unlocked glass prison room and smiled proudly at his trapped family. Raph took a deep breath and stared at the many buttons on the metal control panel. He bit his lip as he tried to remember what button it was that the scientists always pressed in order to release them into the enclosure. Thinking hard, Raphael pushed two buttons in particular, and to his relief both his family and Silver's steel doors opened. The boy watched as the others quickly vacated their cells. He sighed in contentment, knowing that the hardest part of his mission had been accomplished. Raphael turned towards the exit so he could meet up with the others, but instead he came face to face with a barrel of a gun.

Dr Aquel's body shook with indecision as she firmly held the tranquilizer dart gun. If she shot him with the adult dosage, Raphael would fall asleep and never wake up… He would die in the exact same place where his father had years ago. Then again on the other hand, if she didn't stop him, he would escape along with the rest of his family. Either way, she'd lose her job. Dr Aquel stared at the turtle, and deep down she knew she would never pull the trigger. Sensing her indecision, Raphael swiftly lunged forward and pickpocket her keys to the enclosure. With a cocky grin, Raphael waved a thank you to the female scientist before taking off back down the white corridor. 

Once back outside, it was only a short jog to the staff entrance of the enclosure. Raphael nervously looked around as he tried to find the right key. When he finally did, the door suddenly opened and soon everyone experienced a taste of freedom. The hugs of happiness were short, yet their smiles didn't fade. Wanting to get as far away as possible, the five turtles and the Yeti started to run in the direction towards the zoo's exit. But it wasn't so simple this time around…

"There they are!" Dr Aquel said to the two security guards that she managed to find within the last couple of minutes. Everyone froze with indecisiveness as the two guards and the scientist aimed their tranquilizer rifles. But they never fired at shot. Leonardo immediately stood in a prepared stance, though he couldn't help but feel confused when the three humans stared into space; all of them with a frightened expression. No one said a word. The humans kept staring in fright and horror. Raphael looked at them and observed that they weren't gazing particularly at any members of his family or Silver, but rather they were frightened by something that stood behind all of them. 

Partly scared himself, Raphael gathered up the courage to turn around. He suddenly saw what the humans were so frightened of. Yet for some reason, the boy suddenly felt calmed and the feeling of fear unexpectedly dissipated. Raphael observed the unknown turtle's well-defined muscles, the rough and chipped battle scars on his shell, the savagely torn bandanna and the reptile's sly smirk. A small bullet hole could be seen on the plastron and in an instant Raphael knew that this was his deceased father coming back from the grave to help everyone one last time. 

The boy smiled to himself, thinking that the adult turtle in his twenties looked impressive. Raphael's body froze when the ghost suddenly locked eyes with him. At first he was afraid, but he quickly learnt to relax when his father's hard smirk softened to that of a thankful smile. 

"Raph, come on! Let's go!" Leonardo urged the boy, snapping him out of his gentle trance. When Raphael looked back to where he was staring only seconds ago, the ghost of his father had disappeared. The three humans were still too freaked out and stunned to do anything useful. Leonardo leaped at the opportunity and swiftly and safely led everyone past the two guards and Dr Aquel. The chase had started once again as they hurriedly headed for the exit. As they ran, Raphael wondered if anyone else saw what he'd saw, though judging from their focused haste, he'd figured that he was the only one. The boy smiled to himself as he jogged, keeping quiet about his ethereal encounter, as he wanted to cherish and remember the moment that had just passed for the rest of his life. 

Their bare feet slapped on the pavement as they hurriedly rushed over to the zoo's closed gift shop and hence the exit. Quickly turning around, Leo slammed against the locked door with his carapace, causing it to spring open in defeat. It was dark inside the shop, and it took a few moments for the turtle's eyes to adjust. Leo was about to keep running when he noticed Silver admiring a pair of pants that advertised the zoo logo. "Silver, we've gotta get moving!" Leo called out to the ape hastily. 

"Not before I get a pair of pants!" Silver hissed back, sick and tired of being naked. He pulled out a pair from the rack, held it against his waste before releasing that it wasn't his size. As Silver kept fishing for a pair of pants, Mike walked over to the zoo's merchandise. 

"Hey Leo! Want a Diana figurine?" Mike asked lightheartedly. Leonardo frowned before casting his eyes out the window hoping that the security guards and Dr Aquel wouldn't catch up to them all too soon. 

__

'They looked pretty freaked out…' Leo pondered to himself. Michelangelo looked down as Diana poked his leg, wanting to grab his attention. The little girl reached upwards, her fingers extended, wanting to see her figurine. With a smile, Mike handed the small plastic toy to her.

"Hey, I'll try and find a Raphael figurine for you as well," Mike grinned. Squinting his eyes in the dark, Mike pushed over the toys standing on the shelf to try and find what he was looking for. He gave Diana a toy of her brother when he found it, before attempting to search for something else. "Oh man!" Mike exclaimed.

"What is it?!" Venus asked hurriedly, starting to get edgy. 

"I'm sold out! There are heaps of Leo and Venus figurines though…" Mike mumbled the last part. 

"Silver! C'mon!" Leo said irritably. Silver glared at him angrily and tried on the pair of pants that he was holding. Luckily for the turtles, they fit him. All of them froze when they saw the illuminous beams of several flashlights. "Go, go go!" Leo whispered frantically, escorting everyone out of the shop and into the dark streets. 

It was Halloween. The one time of the year where everyone with the holiday spirit dressed up to celebrate their favourite villain, beast or monster. This is what they were hoping for. This was what Leo was counting on. As a group, they broke out of their frantic running and stepped into a casual walk, blending seamlessly into the candy gathering crowds. Thankfully for them, mutant turtle and yeti costumes were the newest thing this year, and were extremely popular around the residential areas that surrounded the zoo. No one batted an eye at the group of escapees. No one did a double take. It was like they were never there, disappearing into the night like silent ghosts.

Back at the zoo, Dr Yesmal and Dr Quease had finally arrived and had immediately received a briefing about what had happened; though Dr Aquel nervously left out the part where she saw the deceased turtle's spirit. The male scientist was slightly angry at her irresponsibility, yet he let that pass for the moment being in order to focus on the problem at hand. Together with Dr Quease, the three scientists gathered the tracers that received the unique signals being emitted from the tracking devices they implanted into all of the turtles and into Silver. Within the next couple of seconds, the zoo staff knew where the escaped animals were. 

In an instant they led the large group of security guards armed with tranquilizer dart guns out the zoo exit and down the street, causing panic in some of the local residents. But they didn't care about the public's well being, not when the rarest creatures on the Earth were on the loose. Dr Quease observed the blip on his tracer. He watched as it moved forward rapidly before stopping entirely. Knowing the animal's habits from previous confrontations within his life, he knew that they were most likely traveling underground through the sewer system. 

With that theory in mind, Dr Quease raised his hand to signal for the current search to stop. The scientist explained his train of thought to the hunting party, and everyone agreed that they should search underground. With everything said and done, the entire group found the nearest manhole and proceeded down into the dank depths of the sewers. "This way," Dr Yesmal whispered as an order to the search party, using his tracer as a guide. Dr Quease and Dr Aquel followed close behind the group of shooters. The closer and closer they got, the quieter they became. With unheard footsteps, the team hastily rounded the last corner. "Gotcha!" Dr Yesmal called out.

But no one was there. Just a dead end. "I don't get it. The signal says that they should be right here…" Dr Aquel said with a confused tone of voice.

"Yes, but the tracer isn't three dimensional. It can't tell whether the signal is coming below or above ground. It doesn't work that way," Dr Yesmal groaned. Everyone stared at the disgusting gray concrete ceiling, knowing that their most prized possessions were standing just a few feet above them. Without saying a word, everyone rushed back up the ladder and climbed into the moonlit streets. Their hardened shoes clicked and slapped against the pavement as they ran rifle in hand. Glancing at the tracer, Dr Quease noticed that the animals still hadn't moved, though he didn't necessarily think anything about it. Running down the street, the group slowed to a walking pace as a whole.

"Shouldn't we be able to see them by now?" Dr Aquel asked worriedly. Neither Dr Yesmal or Quease answered her. Getting ready to fire at anything suspicious, the group moved cautiously the rest of the way until they were practically on top of where the turtles and Silver should be according to the tracking devices. Curious, Dr Aquel looked into a wire mesh garbage bin located by the side of the road and found all six tracking devices disembodied. The turtles and Silver were free once again…

A/N: See, they weren't rescued! Why rescue them when they can save themselves? Hehe. Sorry this post was a little late. I wanted to make this chap longer, but when I looked at my story board/map/plan I realised that the next section was longer than I thought, so I cut it off here and wasted a day because of my indecision * looks around sheepishly *. Hopefully I'll be able to finish this soon because of school purposes and also because I've only got a few more chapters to go (though it depends on how I decide to split it all up). 


	25. Release

A/N: It seems I can't do my little asterick thing to denote a change in scene any more, because it's not saving properly onto ff.net since this new edit preview feature has been added. So just take extra note when there's a sentence written in italics.

Rene – Yeah, school's been busy. It's my last year and I have to do the Higher School Certificate (HSC) which is basically an exam which determines the rest of your life (well, the next few years at any rate ). It's a stupid system which I've tried to explain to other people before, but I've only succeeded in making them horribly confused! Glad you're liking the story I'm hoping to have finished by chapter 30, since 30 is such a nice even number, but knowing my luck it'll be 31!

Chapter 25: Release.

Hours later. Los Angeles Airport, LAX.

It was late at night. At this hour, there were very few people waiting at the gates to board their plane. One man in particular though, was hoping to arrive on the other side of country by the next morning for a very important job interview. He sat in his seat nervously, knowing that he was cutting time short. When the constant waiting became too much, he decided to take a stroll around the terminal to calm his nerves. The man grumbled and fidgeted with his tie when he realised that McDonalds was the only store that was open and relatively busy. Giving into the temptation, he sighed and waited in line in hopes that it was early enough to receive a hot coffee.

After being served proficiently, the man took his coffee and walked over to the window overlooking the docked planes. He sighed as he couldn't see much outside; only the faint outlines of the nearby planes and the personnel working below. The man turned his head and watched the television screen that was on for entertainment purposes. A news update was currently being aired. Bored, the man sighed and stared out the window again. His eyes opened wide in shock and surprise when he saw several turtles and a silver ape run across the concrete landscape outside, totally unseen by the personnel working near the planes. The man raised an eyebrow and looked into his coffee, half expecting to see something unusual to explain what he had seen.

His ears suddenly tuned into the noise coming from the television. The man turned to look at the screen again and watch the news story about the recently escaped zoo animals. A phone number appeared at the bottom while the news reporter stared straight down the barrel of the camera, telling anyone to ring that number if anything unusual was spotted. The man suddenly sprung into action, pulling out his cell phone to record the phone number displayed on the television screen. When ready, he dialed it and told the lady on the other end what he had just seen.

Five hours later, LAX.

Simon Bonesteel yawned and rubbed his tired eyes with his sleeve while he waited for the lady working at the airport information desk to get off the phone. For him, the last couple of hours had been hectic. When he first heard the news of the mutant's escape, Bonetseel spent a good deal of his time trying to track them down in New York. He knew that they were no longer in the city, and his suspicions were correct when he received word that the turtles and the ape were spotted at Los Angeles airport. Bonesteel immediately booked a flight even though he knew they would be long gone by the time he arrived on the other side of the country. His only hope in catching them was if they were caught when they had to get off the plane, wherever that may be.

Bonesteel looked anxiously at the female airport staff member when she put down the phone. "Well?" Bonesteel prompted her rudely.

"Well, every plane that has left this airport during the time the animals were seen, has already landed and has been checked… all except for one," the woman informed the hunter.

"Where's that one heading to?" Bonesteel prompted once again.

"Sydney, Australia," she said simply.

"Can the plane be checked for the animals before it has landed?" Bonesteel questioned.

"It can," she said simply. "I'll try and inform the pilot of that flight about the problem. We'll get back to you as soon as we can," the woman said before picking up the phone once again.

Flight 148, Los Angeles to Sydney.

Michelangelo twiddled his thumbs as the time slowly ticked by. They were already hours into the flight, yet it seemed a lot longer considering they had to stay quiet for most of the trip. Mike watched as Diana fiddled with the numerous figurines he'd collected for her while at the zoo's gift shop. The turtle sighed out of boredom and observed Raphael inspecting the scar on his arm, before looking at Leo and Venus who were just huddled together doing absolutely nothing. Mike then stared at Silver, who was currently staring thoughtfully straight back. "What?" Mike asked, wondering if he had done something wrong.

"Nothing. I'm just trying to remember the nick name I used to call you by," Silver said simply. Mike crossed his arms and tried to remember also. "Kid!" Silver exclaimed after a period of ten minutes.

"Huh?" Mike answered.

"Kid, that's what I used to call you," Silver explained further. Mike pouted and thought about it.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"I know that someone called me 'kid', but I didn't think it was you," Mike said, still pondering.

"I'm sure I called you that…" Silver trailed off into his memories.

"Does it really matter?" Leonardo questioned.

"Of course it does," Silver answered simply.

"Why?" Leo wondered.

"Because you always make up nick names for your enemies," Silver said arrogantly.

"That's true. Like, Dragon Lord used to call us 'The Turtles', while we called him Puff the Magic Dragon. Just like how Silver calls you Greenie and we call him King Kong," Michelangelo analysed. Silver gave the turtle a hardened glare.

"You mean my nick name's King Kong?!" Silver said, offended.

"Hey, you're the one who brought this topic up!" Mike shrugged innocently.

Venus hissed in pain and her hands immediately went to her stomach. Everyone looked at her worriedly. "Are you okay?" Leonardo calmly asked Venus. The female turtle bit her lip as she nodded, not wanting everyone to worry as of yet. She slowed her breathing when the contraction finished, however it wasn't long until she experienced the pain again.

"I… I think this is it. I think I'm going to have it," Venus said to Leo worriedly as she clutched her sensitive lower plastron for added comfort.

"Oh no, not now," Silver demanded, knowing that this was a really bad time to lay her egg.

"Can't you hold it in?" Mike asked expectantly, wanting to complete the escape plan first before anything drastic happened. Venus scrunched up her face in pain as another contraction started; unknowingly answering Mike's selfish question. She breathed in deeply, trying to let the pain subside though she knew that the contractions were going to become more frequent later on.

Venus squeezed Leo's hand, feeling guilty that the egg was going to come soon. "I'm sorry," she said while looking him straight in the eye. Leonardo sighed and pulled her into a gentle hug.

"It's okay. You can't help it. We'll work something out," Leo whispered into her ear before giving her a light kiss on the cheek. She suddenly pulled away from his comforting embrace and recoiled in agony, this time verbally letting out a groan. Venus didn't need to tell Leo that she was experiencing more pain this time when compared to her previous experiences. Both Michelangelo and Leonardo had noticed that her stomach had stretched to be twice as big as usual, as this time she had two large eggs inside her, not just one. Leo could only imagine how cramped and squashed everything inside Venus' body must be in order to house them. "Okay, we need to do something," Leo suggested, not knowing what else to do or say.

Mike walked over to the turtle couple and helped Venus to fight her turtle instincts and lie on her back, ready to deliver the eggs. Diana ran over worriedly to her father, wanting reassurance and comprehension of what was going on. "Is mummy, mummy alright?" Diana asked timidly. Leo bent down to her eye level.

"Mummy's in a lot of pain right now. So, to make her feel better, you need to be a good little girl and stay near Raphael. It's going to be a very long night," Leonardo told his daughter calmly, glancing at Raph in the mean time. The boy nodded, understanding the underlying context of what Leo had said. The boy had a job to do, and that was to stay calm and keep Diana out of trouble. Silver paced the length of the plane's baggage compartment, not liking the situation one bit. His strides made all of the turtle's nervous, though that feeling was quickly replaced with panic when Venus experienced another agonising contraction.

The sound of a hatch opening made all of the mutants look up. A flight attendant descended part way down the stairs into the luggage holding area. No one had any time to move or hide. She saw them all with frozen and shocked faces, and she quickly climbed back up and locked the hatch, making it impossible for any of them to vacate the area and move to another part of the plane. In that instant, they knew their escape plan had failed.

Hours passed. Although the flight attendant didn't visit them again, they all knew that it was going to be extremely difficult to leave when the plane finally landed. Venus, meanwhile, still hadn't laid either of her eggs. For her, the night had been tiring and drawn out. Everyone was worried about her health considering that this was the longest time she had been in labour, and there was no sign that she was going to finish soon.

Leonardo looked to where he was holding Venus' hand. The female had been gripping his fingers so tight, that they were now turning white and were receiving that pins and needles feeling. He slowly pulled his hand out of her grasp and shook it, hoping to get the blood flow to return. Leonardo watched on as Mike continued to endlessly coax her to keep pushing and not to give up.

Leo sighed and looked over towards the two children. Raphael was doing his best to keep Diana occupied. Leonardo hated giving jobs like this to Raphael. He was only eight years old, yet he was at times more responsible and reliable than a teenager. In a weird kind of way, Leo felt sorry for the boy as Raph reminded him of himself. Yet, unlike Leo where he had to act more mature than others his age because he had to take care of younger siblings, Raphael had been raised in a stressed and fearful environment all of his life where at times he wasn't even allowed to make a sound. Although that level of discipline would later make him into a respectable ninja, Raphael lost a part of his childhood that could never be returned. Leonardo often regretted not treasuring his younger years, and he hoped with all his heart that Raphael wouldn't grow to regret his as well, or worse still, want to rebel against the rules that came with being a mutant, like his father had. When Leonardo felt the change in inertia, he knew that he had to ask Raphael one more favour for the night.

"It's coming! I can see it!" Mike said, breaking Leo out of his long train of thought. Leo and Venus smiled with relief, though they both knew the plane was starting to descend in preparation for landing. Time was quickly running out and the chances of Venus being well rested enough to be able to escape were slim.

"I'm not going to leave you behind," Leo said to Venus as he held her hand once again. She nodded wordlessly as she started another painful push. A jolt was felt through the aircraft as the plane made contact with the runway.

"C'mon, you're almost done," Mike urged positively, starting to panic from the lack of time.

"Mike… I can take over from here," Leonardo offered. Mike stared at him with firmness.

"With all do respect Leo, this could be my child. I'm not going to leave Venus, not when she's in this position because of me," Mike said strongly, ignoring Leo's decision.

"Well I'm not staying here!" Silver interrupted angrily, disliking every aspect of the situation they were in. Leonardo frowned at the ape and sighed when he looked over towards the two worried children. Considering they both had their own individual tranquilizer dosage and they were smaller in size, they had the best chance of escaping. Leo really didn't want to give Raphael another important order, but it had to be done.

"Raphael, when the cargo door opens, I want you to take your sister and get out of here. Run to the nearest manhole or storm drain grate and get below ground. Try to find Donatello," Leonardo commanded.

"But Dad… What if Don's not here, or I can't find him?" Raphael protested.

"You're just going to have to hope that you can…" Leo said sorrowfully.

"And what about me!?" Silver demanded. Leonardo looked at his old enemy long and hard.

"Take care of them," Leo murmured. He knew that Silver wasn't going to stick around and fight, yet although he didn't trust him fully, he preferred Raphael to be accompanied by an adult through the new and unknown sewers of Australia. Silver was too shocked to reply to Leo's rash decision, and instead of arguing he just simply nodded.

A half-hour passed since the plane had landed. _'The cargo hold should have been opened by now', _Leo thought as the time agonisingly ticked by. Deep down he knew the humans outside were planning and coordinating an attack as soon as the door opened. Silver, Raphael and Diana nervously stood near the entrance, ready to make a run for it at any second. All of a sudden, Venus let out another painful groan.

"C'mon Venus. Just one more push," Mike urged.

"I can't," Venus whispered tiredly. Leo held her hand even tighter and stared at her tear drenched face.

"You can, come on," Leo said softly, trying to stay calm despite the fact they could all be knocked unconscious in any minute. Venus took a deep breath, squeezed and pushed until Mike finally pulled the rest of the massive egg out.

"Congratulations!" Mike said with an energetic smile. Instantly Venus relaxed and sighed tiredly.

"What about the other egg?" Leo questioned Mike worriedly. Mike simply shrugged.

"Maybe it's like batches or clutches or whatever. You know, like how female sea turtles won't lay all their eggs at once, but instead they do it over a few nights? Maybe it's like that," Mike suggested. Venus groaned.

"You mean I have to go through all that again tomorrow night?" Venus exasperated.

Mike just gave her a small smile. "Well… hopefully it'll be easier 'cause you don't have to push one egg in front of the other," Mike tried to think positively.

"Can you stand up?" Leo wondered. Venus tried, but quickly realised she was still to exhausted.

"I'm sorry," Venus whispered as a new set of tears rolled down her cheeks in defeat.

"It's okay," Leo whispered back as he compassionately wiped some sweat off her forehead with his hand. Mike gently leaned forward and handed Venus her egg.

"Who's is it?" Mike wondered the paternity. Venus was about to answer, but the cargo door finally opened.

"Run!" Leo yelled to the three mutants that were waiting by the entrance. As soon as they heard his plea, Silver, Raph and Diana made a run for it. A line of trained professionals were waiting on the other side, each armed with a tranquilizer gun and a firearm for emergency purposes. They fired a couple of shots at the escaping mutants out of shock, yet stopped when they realised they were using the wrong dosage. A select few people were ordered to chase after them while the rest aimed for Leonardo and Michelangelo who were still on board the plane. Not having anything to lose, the two male turtles rushed forward to attack, but they were hit before they got even close. Even if they were armed with their weapons, they still would have failed. When the humans were sure that Leo and Mike were unconscious, they cautiously entered the cargo hold and found Venus still on the floor, clutching her egg protectively in fear and panic. She tried to desperately stand up, but she still didn't have enough energy to hold her ground.

"Think this one's sick?" one man asked his leader.

"Just shoot her anyway," the guy replied indifferently. With that said, a single shot was fired, and Venus slowly slipped away into a deep sleep.

Silver, Raphael and Diana were meanwhile still on the run. From what Raph could tell, four people were chasing them. They weren't gaining that much ground on the humans, especially when Diana's little legs slowed them down. Wanting to escape, Silver quickly snatched up the turtle girl and continued to run while holding her in his arms. None of them knew exactly where they were running. It was dark, so it was hard to observe their surroundings. They might have been in another city or country and they still wouldn't have known. They all just kept running solely in the hopes of losing the people behind them.

It didn't take long till the three reached the perimeter fence of the airport. Silver instantly climbed over, which partly shocked Raphael as he didn't expect the ape to know how to do that so quickly. But he swiftly shook the confused thoughts out of his head and decided that it was a monkey thing before climbing over himself. Not wanting to lose any time, they ran along the edge of the nearby highway, looking for any way to get below ground. A few minutes later, they found a storm drain. Using his natural strength, Silver placed Diana down and lifted the heavy iron grate high enough so that they could all slip down.

They landed underneath in a large puddle of brown, murky water. Silver grimaced at the dirty splash marks on his new pair of pants. "It stinks down here… It _always_ stinks down here," Silver complained and muttered.

"Shhh…" Raphael shushed the ape. With a slowed and quiet pace, they walked down the tunnel. After numerous twists and turns, they stopped moving altogether so they were certain that they had lost their pursuers. "We have to go back," Raphael said quietly. Silver gave the boy a crazy and tired look.

"We're not going back," Silver stated simply.

"Well we can't just leave them there!" Raphael protested.

"We can, and we will," Silver rebutted.

"We can't! We have to save them!" Raph argued stubbornly. Silver groaned in annoyance.

"No! Greenie won't like it, and you're supposed to find Donatello or whatever," Silver argued back, even though he didn't really want to meet the purple wearing turtle himself.

"Stop calling my dad Greenie!" Raph yelled angrily.

"I'll call him whatever I want to call him!" Silver snapped irritably.

"Whatever, I'm going back for my parents. Come Diana," Raphael commanded, grabbing onto his sister's hand.

"Fine! Leave! Do whatever you want! But I'm not coming after you!" Silver yelled after them. Raphael didn't look back and continued to pull his sister along. Aggravated, Silver turned in the opposite direction and started to walk away as well. "Little brat," he muttered under his breath.

"But, but Raaaph… Daddy said that, that we had to find Don, Don, Donitetello, and we have to find him 'cause, 'cause Daddy said so," Diana tried to defy her older brother. Raph stopped walking so that he could look her in the eyes.

"Diana, listen to me. Donatello hasn't ever helped us out, or stuck by us in the past. What makes you think he's going to help us now?" Raphael reasoned with her. When Diana couldn't think of anything to say in return, Raphael continued to drag her along back down the tunnel. It wasn't long till they reached the heavy grate again. Slightly nervous, Raphael reached upwards with all his might, yet he could only lift the metal slate up an inch. It was high enough though to catch onto the edge of the concrete surface so he could slide and push the grate far enough so they could both slip through the gap.

Nervously, Raphael and Diana cautiously crept back along the highway, hoping to find an easier way to get back over the wire fence. With a sigh of defeat, Raphael decided to climb it anyway. "Copy what I do and follow me," he told his sister quietly. Diana watched silently as Raphael swiftly gripped, lifted and climbed over the fence, being very careful at the top to avoid grabbing the barbed wire knowing how much it hurts. "C'mon," Raphael urged Diana quickly.

The little girl stepped forward and linked her fingers through the wire mesh. With a little heave, she started to climb slowly. Raphael nervously looked around, hoping that they didn't run into trouble in the meantime. "Be careful of the spikes!" Raph warned her when she was nearing the top. Diana nodded with a scared look in her eyes. When she reached as high as she could go, she timidly lifted one foot and placed it on the other side. Diana stared that the shiny metal spikes in between her legs with fright. "Keep going," Raph urged her again.

"Raph… I'm scared," Diana complained while her voice wavered with fright.

"You're okay. Keep going. You can do it!" Raph said to her. "Just lift up you're other leg and place it on the other side and you'll be fine," he instructed. With a bit of a wobble, Diana nervously did what she was told, being careful to avoid the barbed wire. "See! You did it!" Raph praised.

Raphael's heart jumped in fright when a gunshot was heard. A tranquilizer dart appeared in Diana's arm. Feeling lightheaded, Diana fell the rest of the way, but Raphael ran forward in time to catch and break her fall. "Diana!" Raph screamed at the limp yet breathing body in his arms. Another shot was fired, yet it missed Raph by only a few inches. Raphael immediately tried to climb the fence again in an attempt to escape, yet he couldn't do it while holding Diana's body. With tears coming to his eyes, he gently placed her on the ground. "I'll come back for you," he whispered to her in the hopes that she'll hear him.

Scared and running for his life, Raphael scrambled up the fence. He hissed in pain as he scratched the inside of his right leg while climbing back over, but it wasn't deep enough to really bother him. While jumping back down on the highway side of the fence, another shot was fired, but luckily it hit the wire mesh instead. Without a moment to lose, Raphael bolted down along the edge of the highway; frantically searching for the grate he moved aside just minutes ago. With a few people chasing after him, Raph jumped down and made a massive splash in the murky brown water below. He tried to slide the grate across again to cover his tracks better, but he didn't have the time nor strength to do so.

Raphael frantically sloshed back through the tunnel and made a few random turns here and there. Suddenly, he stood still. Nothing was heard. He started to run again, making a couple of other compulsive twists and turns until he found himself utterly and completely lost. Raphael stood still once again and tried to hear if anyone was approaching. Nothing. No sound but his own furious breathing.

Hopelessly confused and worried about what he was going to do next, he sat down and leaned against the tunnel's cold wall. Hot, bitter, stinging tears threatened his eyes. Raph's heart thumped loudly while his lungs tried to catch up to the beat. His mind traveled a mile a minute, trying to come to grips with everything that had passed. It all came down to one thing; he had failed.

The tears of anguish were finally released, and they rolled down his cheeks with extreme ease. Because of his stubbornness, he was now completely alone. He had lost his parents, Mikey, his sister and even Silver. And worse still… he had lost himself. As Raphael stared down the dark tunnel, his bitter and raw emotions slowly took over his body and mind. _'It's all my fault,'_ Raphael blamed himself. But it didn't seem enough; he needed freedom and release. "It's all my fault!" he screamed down the tunnel, wanting to satisfy the anger he was experiencing. The tears continued to stream down his face.

Suddenly, like in a temper tantrum, Raphael stood up and furiously kicked the surrounding leaves on the floor. When that wasn't enough, he stared to pick up the sticks and snapped them over his knee in anger and frustration, throwing the broken pieces down the tunnel when he was finished. Raph then focused his rage on the wall; kicking and punching the concrete. He didn't stop when his knuckles began to bleed, instead it just simply fueled his anger. He hated this place. He hated the situation. He hated everything around him but most importantly, he hated himself.

Raphael stopped when that thought passed through his brain. He stopped because he knew it was true. Throughout his life he tried to think positively about his origins and his genetic makeup, but in the end it all became too much. Raphael wished his life was different, but he didn't know how it could come true. _'Maybe if we never went to England?'_ Raph thought of the possibilities that might have changed the outcomes of the present. _'Maybe if Bonesteel was killed when I was four? Maybe if Donatello rescued us? Maybe if my father was still alive?'_

That last one sparked his anger deep inside again, though he kept it under control by clenching his fists tighter. _'Why did he have to die? Why don't humans like us!?' _Raphael wondered furiously. The anger dissipated once again as the pain from his injured hands distracted him. Raph studied the blood dripping effortlessly down his fingers from his knuckles, and in a weird light, he admired the sleekness of the deep, red liquid.

The sound of footsteps snapped Raphael out of his solitary madness. He listened in fear as they came closer and closer. Silently, he slid and tried to hide by hugging the tunnel's wall, though he knew it was a poor hiding spot. Raphael didn't want to move though; too afraid that he'd make a noise and alert the men to his presence. He knew they were human. He could tell as he could hear the clicks their leather shoes made against the concrete floor. Raphael's heart pumped faster when he realised that he didn't know what to do. Hide? Fight unarmed? Run? Instead of doing any of those options, he stood still; frozen. His eyes fixed in the direction the noise was coming from. Raphael let out a sharp yelp in panic when a man suddenly grabbed him from behind.


	26. A Plea For Help

A/N: I just realised that this is my longest fic… o.0

Pretender Fanatic – Actually, when I look over my story board, I don't think I'll be finishing this in the next 4 chapters… considering I've still got to kill someone off and jump ahead another four years… o.0 Eep! I can always try though… and dream!

Mica – I don't think it would have been that hard. Sure, England would have liked to keep the turtles for tourism purposes, but then again they didn't have the appropriate facilities, and all the observation notes that have already been taken are still in America. Zoos also sort of help each other out, like if they have an extra tiger or something, they cooperate and move it overseas where it can more useful in a breeding program. Also, it's America and Britain, who aren't exactly cut throat enemies. If it was somewhere in the Middle East, then there would be a problem… The same applies with Australia. Now that they've gained access to the turtles, they wouldn't want to keep them because of quarantine and facility issues.

Chapter 26: A Plea For Help.

Raphael at first struggled against the mystery person, though he suddenly relaxed when he realised the man had only three fingers… and was green. Even though he couldn't see the turtle's face, Raphael quickly followed his instincts and calmed down, allowing the unknown turtle to carry him along the tunnel and into a dark corner which turned out to be a great hiding place. They both remained silent for the next couple of minutes; slowly waiting for the sounds of the humans to dim and fade away.

When it was clear that the people were well and truly gone, Raphael was finally released from his silenced hold and was able to look into the face of his rescuer. A part of him was expecting to see either Mike or Leo, but instead he saw an unknown male, adult turtle. He wore a purple bandanna along with elbow and kneepads of the same colour. His face was less stressed than Leo's, though wiser than Mikey's. Raphael felt as though his eyes were filled with kindness and delight. In an instinctual way, the boy knew that this was Donatello, but he asked just in case.

"Are you… Donatello?" Raphael asked timidly. Don simply nodded in reply. The two turtles continued to stare at each other, not knowing what to do or say next. After all these years of waiting and pondering on what to say to Raph's child, in an instant, Donatello had forgotten every question he ever wanted to ask. Raphael bit his lip while Don shifted his feet as both of them started to feel the awkwardness that was quickly settling in. Not knowing what to say, Don gestured for the boy to follow him, and Raphael obliged.

Suddenly Raph remembered why he was looking for the purple-wearing turtle in the first place. "My family's been captured! You've gotta help 'em! I, I tried to go back but…" Raphael trailed off, thinking of his failure. After raising an eye-ridge at his accent, Donatello hushed the panicking boy and bent down to his eye level.

"Calm down. Now, tell me everything that has happened," Donatello asked slowly. Raphael took a deep breath and told the adult turtle about the plane flight, the trap, the escape and the attempted rescue. Donatello remained silent the whole way through, simply contented with just being in the boy's presence.

"You've gotta help us…" Raphael finished his long and worried explanation.

"Well we can't do anything for now. We'll just have to lay low for a while and then rescue them later. C'mon, I'll show you my lair," Donatello invited. Raphael stared blankly at him for a couple of moments while he tried to get used to the Australian accent he was hearing. Don started to walk down the tunnel, but Raphael stubbornly didn't follow.

"But… but Leo taught me that with rescue missions, the quicker is better, because the enemy won't be expecting any company so soon," Raph tried to explain his point of view.

"I know but… from what it sounds like, it seems you went back for them too early, when the humans were still looking for you. The least amount of time you should wait to rescue someone is one hour, and even then it's still sometimes too early. You see, around the one-hour mark, humans start to become restless and sloppy with their guarding or patrolling, and that's why it's good to strike then. But if you strike earlier, they're either still looking or expecting you," Donatello reasoned.

"So can we rescue my family in an hour?" Raphael hoped anxiously. Don sighed and shook his head.

"Well… I think this is going to take a lot more planning. But we'll rescue them as soon as possible," Donatello reassured the boy.

"But…" Raphael was about to protest, but then thought better of it and kept his mouth shut. The two turtles started to walk down the tunnel. Don offered his hand, but Raph subconsciously ignored it, creating tension between the two. They remained silent for some time, until Donatello finally realised that they hadn't been properly introduced.

"So what's your name?" Don asked softly.

"Raphael," the boy responded. Don paused as he was slightly taken off guard, but then started walking again shortly after.

"That's a nice name," Don complemented. Raphael said nothing in reply. "So what's your sister's name?" Don asked another question.

"Diana," Raph said simply.

"After the princess?"

"Nope. After the Goddess," Raphael responded. "It's a Venus thing," he added, causing Donatello to smile in reply. "She's my half-sister though…" Raph admitted softly.

"I know…" Donatello whispered. "So who's Diana's father then?" Don asked out of curiosity.

"Leonardo."

"Figures," Don muttered. Raphael quietly followed as Donatello made a couple of tight turns until they reached a medium sized room filled with all sorts of rundown furniture and technological gizmos. Raphael stared in shock at the high standard of the lair. He was anticipating a mattress or a blanket, and maybe even a table and a couple of weapons, but this just completely exceeded his expectations. This was the best equipped lair he had ever seen.

Donatello quickly made himself at home and turned on the television. Raphael timidly entered the lair when he'd gotten over the shock, and wordlessly sat at the table. He found a scrapbook nearby and curiously decided to look through it. Raphael was surprised once again when he found pages and pages of newspaper clippings, all of which were focused around his family's adventures in London and New York. He flicked through and read a couple of articles at random, before freezing on a particular page. Raphael looked at the picture of himself that was taken by Bonesteel when he was four years old. He shuddered as a repressed memory came to the surface of his mind. He remembered the seeing the shell of his father, the glee of success from Bonesteel and the terrified feeling he experienced. Raphael quickly closed the scrapbook and pushed it away, not wanting to think about it at that particular moment.

"Are you alright?" Donatello asked. Raph nodded his head, though that didn't fool Donatello. "Would you like something to eat and drink?" Don offered, deciding not to delve further into the topic.

"Yeah… What do you have?" Raphael asked softly.

"Not much, but I have some coke, lemonade, orange juice… I can make you a hot chocolate if you like," Donatello started. He opened the refrigerator to see what else he had. "As for food, I can make you a sandwich… Oh! I've got some left over pizza! Would you like that?" Don offered. He saw the large smile on Raphael's face and took that as a yes.

"Pizza and hot chocolate please," Raphael confirmed. With a smile, Donatello started to prepare his meal, which basically consisted in heating everything up in the microwave. After a couple of minutes, the food was ready.

"Your mother wouldn't like you eating this much junk food, but seeing that you've probably had fruit for the last couple of months, I think we can make an exception," Donatello said with another smile as he gently placed the food down in front of the boy. Raphael tucked into it almost immediately; realising how hungry he was. As he ate, Raphael observed all the scrunched up pieces of paper on the floor.

"What's that?" Raphael asked with a mouth full. Donatello picked a couple of sheets off the floor.

"Old escape or rescue plans," Donatello answered softly, while opening up the scrunched up pieces of paper and showing Raphael. The boy stopped chewing so he could focus on the scribbling of thoughts and diagrams that were on the numerous sheets.

"You were going to rescue us?" Raphael wondered out loud after he had swallowed the food in his mouth. Donatello nodded slowly.

"I couldn't come up with the perfect plan though…" Donatello softly admitted. Raphael looked around the lair and for the first time noticed all the sheets of paper containing potential plans pinned onto the walls or scrunched up on the floor. All of a sudden, Raphael felt guilty for thinking badly of Donatello when he was trying to figure out a way to help them all along.

'He never forgot about us,' Raphael thought sadly. "What was wrong with all these plans?" he had to ask.

"Oh… I just didn't like them… I guess I was simply too scared of failing," Don answered slowly, partly upset that he couldn't overcome his fear of being captured.

"I can understand that…" Raphael softly admitted. After a few seconds, the boy gave Donatello a smile, wanting to make up for the misjudgment of character earlier. Donatello gave him a small smile back. "So… how are we going to rescue the others?" Raphael asked curiously.

"Well… That's what we've got to figure out. Knowing how strict Australia is with foreign wildlife, Leo and the others are probably in quarantine right now," Donatello hypothesized.

"Where's that?" Raphael asked.

"I don't really know… I'm pretty sure the zoo does quarantine though," Donatello thought out loud. "I've been there before, but I don't exactly know where they would be kept," Don added.

"Why were you there before?" Raphael questioned curiously. Don gave him a smile.

"Long story," Don answered simply before continuing the discussion on possible plans of action. "I know how to get the zoo, but I don't know how we're going to get back," Donatello wondered.

"Well, since it's still Halloween, can't we just walk around the streets normally like we did in New York?" Raphael asked. Donatello's eye-ridges furrowed in slight confusion.

"But it's the second of November," Don said slowly.

"But… but it can't be!" Raphael became confused as well. Donatello smiled when he figured out what had happened.

"Australia's really ahead in time when compared to America. See, because on the International Date Line, if you fly from Australia to America, you gain a day. But if you fly the other way, you lose one," Donatello tried to explain.

"But what happened to the first of November?" Raph uttered, still confused.

"Well, you guys spent that day in transit," Donatello said. Raphael continued to give him a confused look. "You'll understand it one day. But even if it was Halloween, that plan still wouldn't work as Australians don't exactly celebrate that holiday," Don reasoned.

"Why not?"

"Well… Some people celebrate it, while others don't. There's a small conflict about it, where people are saying that it's an American holiday and therefore it has no relevance to them, while others say it's fun and brings the community together. So you'll still see some people dressed up, but not enough to blend into the crowd unnoticed," Donatello explained further. Raphael sighed.

"So what are we gonna do?" Raphael questioned worriedly.

"Leave it to me. I'll figure something out," Donatello murmured. "Do you know how to use any weapons, Raphael?" he changed the topic. The boy nodded.

"Sais. Though I don't have them anymore because they were taken away from me when I was trapped in the zoo," Raph answered. Donatello suddenly remembered.

"Well, come over here, and I'll give you something special," Don enticed. Raphael stood up from the table and chair and made his way over to the big black bag the turtle was pointing to. Intrigued, Raph waited patiently as Donatello unzipped the bag and pulled his present out. A wide grin was planted firmly on the boy's face as he stared at the sleek metal of the two sais. Carefully, Don handed the sais over, in order for Raphael to get a feel for the weapon.

"They're heavier than what I remember," Raphael murmured more to himself than to Donatello. He rolled one of the sais over in his hand, admiring the worn, red handle and the engraved letter 'R' at the base. "Are these for me?" Raphael asked, still in disbelief. Donatello nodded. Raph went back to admiring them. "Were these… my father's?" he had to ask.

"Yes," Don answered softly after clearing his throat. "Those are the original weapons, not his spares. He succeeded in many battles with those… They always got him out of trouble," Donatello added with slight reminiscence.

"So… you knew my father?" Raphael asked.

"Of course I did," Donatello admitted. Raphael looked on as Don continued to pull out other belongings from the black bag. The boy fingered the knee and elbows pads, along with the red, torn bandanna.

"Were these his as well?" Raphael questioned. Don nodded in reply.

"This was his spare set though," Don confirmed. He watched as Raphael took off his own bandanna in order to try and wear his father's, though it ended up being way too big for his liking.

"My father must've been pretty big…" Raphael wondered out loud.

"Yeah, he's the type of guy you wouldn't want to mess with. He used to do a lot of body building," Donatello explained.

"So he was really strong?"

"Yeah, pretty strong," Don admitted, starting to feel more relaxed with the topic.

"Stronger than Leo?" Raph wondered.

"That's… debatable," Donatello answered with a smirk. "Don't ask Leo that question, or he'll give a half hour lecture," he added lightheartedly. Raphael giggled in response.

"So… were Raphael and Leo best friends?" Raphael wondered. Donatello tried his best not to laugh out loud upon hearing that question.

"Um… I'd say so, yes," Don answered. "They were the type of friends who were completely honest with each other… sometimes brutally honest. They fought a lot, and they had a lot of differences, yet they also had a lot of similarities. I think in the end, they both valued each other's criticism and used it as a means to improve both themselves and the group… It was a love hate friendship," Donatello summarised. Raphael looked surprised.

"But if Leo hated my father so much, then why did he choose to raise me as his son?" Raphael asked, becoming confused.

"Because Leo doesn't hate him. That's the point. They might have acted like that, but deep inside, they truly cared about each other, and Leo looked after you most likely out of honour," Donatello explained. "Do you understand now?" he asked softly.

"I think so, yeah," Raph said. As they fell in silence, Donatello glanced at the clock on the VCR.

"Gees, I didn't realise it was so late," Don muttered. Raphael started to yawn and tried to hide it from Don, but he wasn't successful. "You should get some sleep," Don stated. Raph shook his head.

"We have to rescue the others soon," Raph denied stubbornly with another yawn. Donatello frowned.

"How about you get some sleep while I come up with a plan," Don reasoned.

"Will you wake me up when it's time to rescue them?"

"Of course," Donatello reassured him. Raphael tiredly nodded in agreement and plodded over towards the mattress on the floor. He curled up into a ball and closed his eyes, allowing Donatello to cover him with some blankets.

It only seemed like he had fallen asleep for a few minutes, but when Raphael was awoken by Don, a couple of hours had in fact passed. "Hey, it's time to go," Donatello said as he shook the boy awake. Raphael groaned and rubbed his eyes, slowly getting used to the dim lighting.

When he was ready, the two turtles equipped themselves; Donatello had his electronically improved bo staff while Raphael had his father's sais. Don silently put on his trench coat and fedora, and gave a spare one to the little boy. The adult chuckled at Raph's appearance. The coat was far too big, so large that you couldn't see his hands, and his legs were entwined with the remaining mass of material at the bottom. The fedora was also too large, and Raphael had to tilt his head upward in order to see anything. Donatello told the boy that he didn't really need a disguise… since it wasn't much of an inconspicuous disguise in the first place, but Raphael persisted and Don left it at that. Prepared, Don led the boy over to the Hog.

"Cool!" was Raphael's first reaction. Donatello grinned.

"Thought you might like it. It was your father's after all," Don said.

"Wow! My father was cool…" Raphael stated.

"Yep, he was quite the rebel," Donatello said as he neared the vehicle.

"I've always wanted to ride one of these things, but I always knew that I never would," Raphael said, still in awe of the machine.

"Maybe when you're older you can own this," Donatello suggested. Raphael's eyes widened in delight, but Don was unable to see it because of the enormous fedora slapped on the boy's head. Donatello hopped on the Hog and Raphael quickly followed after. With a rev of the engine, the two turtles were off down the tunnel.

Raphael held on to Donatello's carapace tightly for the first couple of rapid and close turns, but soon the boy found himself enjoying the ride and Don's company. They soon stopped at a large gate that led outside. Raphael watched as Don reached into his trench coat pocket to pull out a few strands of wire. With a little bit of tedious effort, the gate's lock clicked open and the two turtles were free to continue their bike ride.

Raphael became nervous when Donatello started to ride along the highway along with other cars, though the adult kept reassuring the boy that it was alright. After some time, Don turned the Hog into a side street and parked at the first available spot he could find. Raphael continued to follow as Donatello inspected the nearby cars. Pulling out the couple of metal strands again from his pocket, Don picked the car's lock before sitting inside to work on the ignition. Raphael curiously continued to watch as Don made an incision around the steering wheel in order to expose the wires. After a few more seconds of fiddling around, the car's engine started.

"Hop in," Don offered as he reached over and opened the passenger side door. Raphael did what he was told and sat next to Donatello in the car. Soon after, Donatello pulled out from the side street and, a few roads later, joined the highway once again.

"Where did you learn to break into a car?" Raphael wondered out loud.

"Your father," Donatello replied with a smirk. Raph smiled. "You're father and I always wanted to know how to do it, but it was your father who actually went out and experimented. When he was finally successful a few years later, he came and told me, and gave the whole family the Hummer as a result. Of course, it wasn't long after when he got his Hog; he wanted his own form of transport," Donatello informed the child.

"That's so cool. No one tells me these things about my father," Raphael admitted.

"Oh well. You're willing to listen and I'm willing to tell," Don summarised simply.

"Yeah… Dad, Leo that is, and Mum don't like to talk about him too often. Uncle Mikey sometimes does," Raphael said sadly.

"Well are you comfortable speaking about your father?" Don asked carefully.

"I am now. I wanna know what he was like," Raphael said while Don nodded. "I want to avenge his death," Raphael finally admitted a minute later. Donatello didn't say anything for a while.

"What does Leo think of that?" Don asked seriously.

"He doesn't want me to," Raphael grumbled.

"Raphael… Revenge won't solve the problem. Although it's hard, forgiveness is always the best answer," Donatello said gently.

"Dr Welner still has to pay for what he's done though," Raphael muttered under his breath.

The couple fell silent as the dimly illuminated zoo loomed in front of them. Without saying a word, Donatello turned off the stolen car's headlights, wanting to stealthily approach their destination. As silently as possible, Donatello parked along the road, not wanting to be obvious and park in the zoo's car park. He sighed as he turned of the ignition. "Are you ready for this?" Donatello asked before getting out of the car.

"Ready as ever," Raphael answered. Taking a deep breath in order to try and relax, the two turtles exited the car and started to execute their rescue mission.


	27. Silence

Chapter 27: Silence.

As quiet as a mouse, two mutant turtles carefully crept towards the gently illuminated main entrance of the zoo. Seeing that the coast was clear, Donatello reached into one of his many pockets and pulled out a grappling hook. Raphael looked on with intrigue as Donatello neatly swung the rope around and hooked it onto a suitable spot. With two tugs of the rope, Don sneakily climbed up and over the wall with Raphael quickly following after.

Hiding as best they could in a dark corner, Donatello scanned the landscape of the zoo, not being sure where to go next. Using instinct and common sense, Donatello headed in the direction he went before when he had previously visited the zoo a couple of months ago. Raph nervously followed the adult as they made a number of twists and turns through various landscape displays. Suddenly Don stopped walking, and so did Raphael. The adult listened for any sounds being carried along the breeze, but when none were heard, the two turtles continued on their way.

Their small, bricked track soon ran out and was merged into a large tarred path. Being careful, Don stepped out into the open, checked for any humans, then signaled for Raphael to follow. The two turtles then abruptly broke out into a silent jog, wanting to find somewhere easy to hide should the unfortunate possibility of a human spotting them occurred.

It wasn't long till they reached the large koala walkabout enclosure. Raphael was about to run straight past, but Don grabbed onto his oversized trench coat and pulled him back. The adult turtle quietly pointed to a small pathway that led uphill, obviously to a staff only area. Careful not to make any noise, the two went up the track and discovered a number of buildings that were off limits to the public. Donatello sneakily walked over to the nearest one and cupped his hands against the glass double doors so he could see inside. An outside mural, a courtyard and the entrance to some public toilets could be spotted. Don noticed Raphael gesturing him to look into the window he was near. Obliging, Don did what was told and looked into the room Raph was pointing to. He found a classroom like setup with a number of small and various reptile terrariums lining the edges of the room.

"Are they in there?" Raph whispered. Don shook his head.

"I think that's just an education centre," Don whispered in reply. "Let's keep going," Don said softly while he pointed down the road to their right. The two started to walk again, but when the sound of an approaching jeep was heard, Don pulled Raphael over to a shadowed wall in order to hide. The car passed with no problems. Wild screeches and hoots suddenly sounded, causing Raphael to nearly jump out of his shell. Don smiled at the boy. "Calm down. I think we're just near the staff entrance to the chimpanzee enclosure," Donatello reassured him, yet just to be on the safe side, the couple continued to walk down the long road away from the loud and disturbing noises of the apes.

Another jeep drove along the road, causing the two turtles to once again quickly duck for cover. Judging from the sudden increase of human activity, Donatello knew he was getting closer and closer to the rest of his family. Continuing in the direction they were going, it wasn't long till they reached a large building surrounded by a wire fence. The perimeter lights were on and one guard could be spotted at the entrance. "I think they're going to be in there," Donatello whispered his thoughts to Raphael. The boy simply nodded in agreement. Together they quietly ran along the tall wire fence, trying their best not to get spotted by the single guard.

When they were a safe distance away from the human, the two turtles swiftly climbed over the fence and sprinted for the nearest ground floor window they could find. Panting, Donatello reached into his pocket and pulled out one of his own inventions which consisted of a rubber suction cup, a metal bar and a small, condensed laser. "What else have you got in your pockets?!" Raphael wondered. Donatello shushed the boy and started his work on the window. The suction cup held his invention neatly in place as his laser swiveled around to cut the glass to a suitable size. When he had made a full rotation, Donatello pushed forwards and a doorway through the window was created. Raphael stood there in astonishment while Don stepped through and detached his equipment from the circle of glass that he had created. Snapping out of his trance, Raphael stepped through the hole in the window and followed Donatello once again.

It was pitch black inside the room, but when Don found and slightly opened up the only door, the lights from the hallway filtered in. Two people where spotted along the corridor; their backs were facing Donny. Raphael stayed behind while Don sneaked forward. Quick as lightning, Donatello interlocked his fingers together and, like a mace, whacked one of the men across the temple and ear, making him unconscious. However, Don wasn't as quick to avoid the other man's punch to the face. Shocked, Don collided with the wall and created an indent in the white surface. Raphael emerged from his hiding place in order to try and help, while the man attempted to aim another punch to Don's face. In defense, Donatello flicked his right leg out and kicked the human in the stomach, and as he fell backwards from the momentum, Raphael instinctively crouched down behind him, causing the man to trip over his carapace. Once the guy was on the floor, Donatello did a single, hard punch to the temple, rendering the last guard unconscious.

Worried that more humans would come once they saw the two guards on the floor, Raphael helped Don to move and hide the bodies within the dark and unused room from which they had entered the hallway by. Grabbing the keys from one of their two victims, the two turtles started to jog down the hallway towards the largest and most appealing door. Calmly and silently, Donatello unlocked their selected room and entered with no problems. Don guessed that this was probably the largest room in the whole building. Empty cages that were large enough to house elephants lined the perimeter of the room, with some enclosures being bigger than others. In some of the pens, Don recognised some antelopes and a few tapirs, obviously being quarantined so that they could join the zoo's extensive display of wildlife. Yet although there were other animals, it was still really easy to find Leo, Mike, Venus and Diana all awake in separate cages.

No one could stop grinning when they realised who the disguised adult turtle was. Not saying a word so the rescue mission wasn't ruined, Don stepped over towards Leo's cage and tried to unlock it with the keys he had 'borrowed'. When none of the keys fit, Don resorted to using his trustworthy strands of wires, which he pulled out of his trench coat pocket again. "Can I try?" Raph whispered his request. Don nodded and gave Raph two strands so he could start working on unlocking Mikey's cage.

Mike chuckled at Raph's appearance. "You look like one of those Javas from Star Wars," Mike whispered with a smile while the boy tried to pick the lock open.

"What's a Java?" Raph asked softly.

"One of those freaky little traders who wears clothes from head to toe," Mike joked and started to giggle. Raphael poked his tongue out at his uncle. After hearing a lock click open, Raph watched as Leonardo was freed from his cage. Don started to work on Venus' while Leo took over Raph's job of freeing Mike. It didn't take long till Mike and Venus were released, leaving Leo to open Diana's cage. The girl had only woken up from the anesthetic about twenty minutes ago, and was still struggling to keep her eyes open. They were all tired as it was still before sunrise, though the excitement of escaping is what kept them all awake and active. Just to be on the safe side, Venus decided to carry Diana in her arms in case her tired body slowed them down should a chase or pursuit ensue.

Michelangelo was fighting every urge to just jump on Donatello through excitement. He wanted to talk and chatter about a million topics at once, yet the seriousness of the situation is what kept him from doing so. Instead, he simple gave Donatello a hug; silently showing how much he missed him. "It's good to have you back Don," Leo whispered with an appreciative smile, yet Donatello could see that Leo's mind was already focusing on the mission at hand. "Can I use this?" Leo asked Raph. The boy nodded and Leo put on the trench coat and fedora that Raph was previously wearing. "How many guards are there?" Leo whispered his question to Don.

"Three so far. One is outside and two were in the hallway. We knocked the two in the hallway unconscious so I don't really know if they're awake yet," Don whispered his answer. Leonardo simply nodded in understanding.

"Come on, let's leave," Leo quietly said his command.

"We can't! What about the egg?" Venus reminded him softly.

"What egg?" Don wondered.

"Venus lays eggs," Mike said simply.

"I thought I told you that?" Raphael asked. Don shook his head.

"Then how come her stomach's grown?" Donatello whispered in confusion.

"We'll give you an update later. Right now we need to go," Leonardo urged them all. Wordlessly they all walked towards the door that led to the corridor, and once Leo confirmed that the coast was clear, the egg hunt began. Using the keys that Donatello had obtained, they systematically checked room by room. After disturbing the many pet dogs that had been brought from overseas, they eventually found the room that contained either the domestic or illegally brought reptiles. The large single egg sat in the corner of the room contained within an incubator. Venus sighed with relief when she saw it, knowing that the whole ordeal on the plane didn't go to waste.

The entire family stared at their future new arrival. There was no problem getting the egg, just how they were going to transport it back to Donatello's lair without it becoming cold. "How are we going to carry it?" Mike asked the first obvious question.

"Well… we'll just hold it in our hands," Leo puzzled.

"But it will get too cold," Venus stated.

"Maybe we can find a blanket somewhere," Mike suggested.

"We could probably find one inside a cage," Venus wondered.

"But even if we do find one in a cage, how are we going to get it without disturbing the animal inside?" Leo questioned.

"Well maybe we can use a bit of clothing or something," Mike suggested.

"And where will we get that?" Venus asked. They were going to continue their debating, when suddenly Donatello silently stepped forward, unplugged the machine, and picked up the entire incubator with the egg still inside.

"There's enough heat still stored in here for the egg to last the trip home. Honestly though, how did you guys survive without me?" Don wondered with a smirk on his face as he headed for the door. The three adults stood and looked at each other with a blank and dumbfounded expression.

"I would have thought of that," Mike muttered to himself as they headed back towards the hallway. Incubator in hand, Donatello led the others back to the room where he cut the window. A sigh of relief swept over both Raph and Don when they found the two guards still unconscious, meaning that no alarm should have been raised. Suddenly Donatello remembered something important.

"Okay, how are we going to get past the guard outside? There's no way we can sprint or climb the fence with this egg and um… Diana," Don wondered, remembering the girl's name in the last second.

"You up for a distraction?" Leonardo asked Michelangelo. Mikey simply gave him a large, wide grin.

"Aren't I always?" Mike replied cheekily.

Like a ninja, Mike sneaked out through the hole in the window and slowly crept up behind the single guard. From a fair distance he observed the lonely man light up a cigarette, obviously in the hopes that it would give him a boost to see the rest of the night through. After taking a deep breath, Mike walked straight up to the human. "Mind if I have a smoke?" Mike asked him casually. The man turned around and yelped in surprise, which was then quickly followed by a scream. Mike screamed back, and so did the man. With a smirk on his face, Mike reached out and grabbed the guard's walkie-talkie, before starting to run off with it. Not really knowing how to handle the situation, the man decided to chase after the overgrown turtle. Mike cunningly ran past the broken window, and the man stupidly followed. Then, when he least expected it, Leo leaped through the hole in the glass in ambush, and tackled the guard to the ground. From there only a simple punch was needed to silence the yelling and scared human.

Not being able to climb the fence because of the heavy incubator and Diana who was currently almost asleep in Venus' arms, the reunited turtle family casually walked through the main entrance of the quarantine section and headed back into the staff area of the zoo. They all traveled in a nervous silence, not knowing if they were safe yet. Fortunately, they made it back to the koala walkabout enclosure without encountering any problems… At least that's what they thought.

Just when they were about to pass through the zoo's one way exit, an approaching jeep could be heard. Panicking, they entered the car park and started to run from what they thought was away from the vehicle, but instead, they practically ran straight into it. The shocked driver managed to get a good look at all six of the mutants in his headlights. When the turtles heard the engine suddenly rev up, they all knew the chase had just begun.

Not wasting any time, Donatello swiftly led the others to the car he had parked earlier. The jeep was right on their tail; the driver not wanting the lose sight of them. Within seconds, Don managed to get the stolen car's engine started again and gave the incubator to Leonardo when he finally sat in the passenger seat. Venus, Raphael and Mike crammed into the back, with Diana illegally and dangerously sitting on her mother's lap. When the jeep was only a meter behind them, Don stamped his foot on the accelerator, causing everyone fall back in their seats. "Put on your seat belts everyone 'cause this is going to be one bumpy ride!" Don wildly called out to them. When the whole family saw the hilly streets that lay ahead of them, their eyes widened in fright and they immediately strapped themselves in.

Donatello frantically looked from the road to the review mirror, noticing that the jeep was still closely following. The turtle pushed his foot harder down on the pedal, greatly accelerating past the speed limit for the area. Looking in the mirror again, Don could see that his pursuer was doing the same thing. Desperate to lose him, Don didn't brake when there was a steep hill in the road, causing the car to leave the ground and heavy slam back down. The car's wheels screeched as Don quickly swerved around a small roundabout that was at the bottom of the incline.

Donatello looked in the mirror again and snarled when he could still see the jeep's headlights, though he did manage to increase the distance between them with the last stunt that he pulled. But it still seemed that more drastic measures needed to be employed. "Hold on!" Don called out. The turtle hit the brakes hard and turned the steering wheel, causing the car to make a sharp and rapid U-turn. The driver of the jeep wasn't so fast to react as he continued to drive right past the car, giving Donatello a huge lead in the chase. Pushing down hard on the accelerator, Donatello went back up the hill, didn't brake, and leapt into the air and slammed back down once again, not wasting any time. This was their last hope in losing their pursuer.

When they were over the apex of the incline, Donatello quickly turned the car's headlights off, turned up a vacant driveway and then remained stationary. "Keep your heads down," Donatello his passengers. They did what they were told and three seconds later, the jeep speedily went by, not noticing their car in the nearby driveway. Donatello waited a couple of seconds, and when he felt the coast was clear, he backed out and continued to speed along the roads. Confident that he had lost the driver of the jeep, Don reduced his speed to normal and turned his headlights back on, ready to merge with the traffic on the highway.

"Where did you learn to drive like that Donny?" Mike wondered in astonishment.

"Um… I don't really know," Don said, slightly flabbergasted himself. "How's the egg going?" he asked a while later when they had all calmed down.

"I think it's alright," Leo commented as he looked through the glass. Venus nervously looked at Mike and sighed, knowing that she had to tell the truth.

"It's yours," she said softly and simply. Mike stared at her blankly; slightly shocked to hear the news even though he knew he should have been prepared for it. Mike sighed, knowing the enormous amount of responsibility a young child brought, and that his life had been completely changed from that moment forth. The realisation that he was going to be a father had finally taken hold of his mind.

Mike cleared his throat. "Can I hold it?" he asked Leo softly. Leo agreed and, although it was difficult in the car, they managed to pass it to the back seat so Mike could hold his future son or daughter. Don's eye-ridge furrowed in confusion as to how Mike managed to have a child despite the fact that Leo and Venus were supposedly together, but he decided to ask that question later on. Right now he had other things to worry about.

"Hey Leo, is there any money in your trench coat pockets?" Don asked. Leo fished around and pulled out a couple of coloured notes and some coin.

"Hey! Monopoly money!" Mike said as he saw the purple five, blue tens and red twenty-dollar notes. Leo admired the various sizes of the coins, with the one and two-dollar coins being a nice golden colour while the lower amounts were a shiny silver.

"Yeah, that's what I first thought when I saw them. Seriously though, you never realise how annoying the American currency is until you've been to Australia," Don commented. "Do you have four bucks?" Don asked. Leo passed him two small golden coins while Don winded down the window with his spare hand. Outstretching his arm, Don leaned out and paid the bridge toll before continuing on his way.

"Why did you pay? I would have just gone straight through," Mike asked.

"Yeah, but then the poor guy that I stole his car from will get into trouble with the authorities," Donatello explained. Not knowing what to talk about next, everyone in the car started to look out the window at all the new sights, knowing how difficult it was to travel with such ease. Yet soon the conversation turned stale and awkward. What do you say to someone you haven't seen in eight years?

Soon, secretly to everyone's relief, Donatello finally pulled of the road and told everyone they could get out. "Hey, Raph. Do you know where that gate is? You know, the one that leads underground?" Don asked, still strapped into the driver's seat.

"I think so…" Raph said.

"Well, you can lead the others to that gate. In the meantime, I need to return this car," Don said. "I should be back in ten minutes," Don told Leo. Before anyone could get the chance to argue, Donatello started up the car again and returned to the highway.

True to his word, Donatello met up with the others at the gate ten minutes later, along with Raph's Hog and a box of donuts. "What's with the Krispy Kremes?" Mike had to ask.

"There are currently only four places in Sydney where you can buy Krispy Kremes. So since I was near the International Airport, I thought I might get some," Donatello said while he fished around his pockets for something to pick the gate's lock with. Leonardo gave him a bewildered expression.

"You risked being seen for Krispy Kremes?!" Leo said out of partial anger and disbelief.

"Hey Leo, trust me, it's worth it," Mike supported Donny's train of thought. Don simply smiled back while he unlocked the gate. The awkward silence quickly returned as they started to walk through the dark tunnels of the storm drains; Don manually pushing the motorcycle beside him so he could walk with his long lost family. The three adults wanted to ask the purple-wearing turtle about how he managed to gain ownership of the bike, but they decided against it, feeling awkward with Raphael around them. Instead, they simply continued to follow Donatello through the foreign tunnels. Looking ahead of where they were going, together as a group they each simultaneously stopped walking as they spotted a familiar furry face further down the underground passage…


	28. Conversations

Disclaimer: I don't own most of the turtles, Silver, McDonalds, Krispy Kremes, the US Government or the song 'Iris' by the Goo Goo Dolls. I do own however Raphael jr and Diana.

Mica – Really? The plural of sai is sai? I thought it might have been, but I've seen some Raphael merchandise where it says on the back 'sais'. Either way, it'll make it confusing now when I write fight scenes o.0 Quarantine is where foreign animals are checked for diseases. Since Australia is physically isolated from the rest of the world, any introduced animals can have a devastating effect on the native wildlife, eg; the fox, rabbit, cane toad and more recently, the red eared slider turtle. Quarantine confiscates any illegal animals entering the country while others are checked for unknown diseases that don't exist yet in Australia. If an animal poses too much of a threat to Australia's biodiversity, it would be put down.

Pretender Fanatic - Yeah, TMNT:TNM isn't that good as heaps of turtle fans will tell you. I've also altered TNM characters quite a bit. For some reason I'm starting to laugh at the jokes now, mainly because I know all the references. For instance, in one episode, Bonesteel suddenly quotes Colleridge, an English poet, right before Don quotes McBeth… So, so random o.0

Buslady Of SoCal – Venus would know whose is whose by the process of elimination. When she's pregnant, she can sense a part of the father. If Venus can no longer sense Mike, yet can still sense Leo's, then through elimination that means that the egg is Mikey's. Once they're both out though, then there'll be problems ;)

Chapter 28: Conversations.

Donatello's eyes narrowed into slits when he saw the creature that was walking towards them. "Is that who I think it is?" Donatello asked.

"Yup," Michelangelo said with a sigh.

"I'm so glad I found you! I've been walking around these filthy sewers forever!" Silver complained and over exaggerated when he finally made his way over to them. All the turtles stared at him with a number of expressions; some of them were angry while others had an eye ridge raised. An awkward silence settled between them. "It's good to see that you're free, rescued, whatever," Silver added in an attempt to break the long pause.

"I thought I told you to look after Diana and Raphael," Leonardo questioned the ape contemptuously. Silver shrugged.

"He ran off. I wasn't going to chase after him," Silver snorted in defense.

"That's not the point! You don't leave an eight and four year child alone, unattended in an unknown sewer system!" Leonardo argued angrily. Silver simply shrugged in response once again. Leonardo growled but tried to not let the ape's carelessness get to him. "Come on, lets go," Leonardo ordered darkly, allowing Silver to join the group once again. Donatello, however, disagreed with Leo's decision.

"I am not taking him back to the lair; my home," Donatello publicly complained. Leonardo gave him a look of unease and indecision. "Not after what Silver has done to me," Donatello added, giving more of a reason.

"And what have I ever done to you!" Silver exclaimed in confusion.

"Uh… Remember the time you hypnotised me, and made me do your dirty work?" Donatello asked sarcastically.

"When did that happen?" Mike asked out of confusion. Donatello shifted his body out of awkwardness for a few seconds, not being proud of what he had done while being under Silver's control.

"When we were seventeen. Raphael was the only one who knew about it. It was just a secret between me and him," Donatello mumbled.

"Yeah, well, what about the time Raphael broke both my legs, and the time where you turtles lost me a hundred and twelve million dollars? And then there was the occasion where I locked She-shell into an airtight vault with a bomb, and the many times I've called him Greenie!" Silver said while pointing to Venus and Leo respectively. "If you want to hold a grudge, that's fine with me. Just remember that She-shell, Kid and Greenie have all forgotten the past, along with myself… Though I must admit that a hundred and twelve millions dollars would have been darn good to have," Silver put forward his argument strongly. Donatello simply rolled eyes every single time he was reminded of the silly lottery ticket fiasco.

"For your information-" Donatello was going to counter attack, but Leonardo stopped him by covering his mouth with his hand.

"Can you excuse us for a minute?" Leonardo said as politely as possible, before dragging Donatello a fair way down the tunnel.

"Why did you do that for?" Donatello asked out of annoyance when they were out of an earshot.

"Listen. We all have our differences with Silver, but right now he doesn't have anywhere to go. And as much as we all dislike him, I'm afraid he's just going to be staying with us anyway," Leonardo explained sadly.

"Why?" Don asked, still in disbelief with the whole situation revolving around his old enemy.

"Well… when we were in captivity, we sort of became allies. He has a serious grudge against Bonesteel, and so do we. Silver also helped us figure out a way to escape. He needs us now just like we needed him. We can't just leave him all alone in the sewers…" Leonardo explained softly. Donatello sighed.

"Fine. He can stay with us at my lair. But if he steals any of my devices, I'll… well I don't know what I'll do, but it will certainly be something close to killing him," Don threatened, still not completely comfortable with the new member of the group. Satisfied that this was going to be the best response out of Donatello, Leonardo called the rest of the group over and Don continued to lead them to his lair.

Once again the group fell silent as they walked; not really knowing what to say to each other. After a lengthy amount of time, Donatello finally turned around a tight corner and welcomed his family to his lair. "Wow!" Mike uttered out of shock when he saw how hi-tech everything was, compared to what conditions they were living in while in London. "Not bad… not bad at all," Mike said while imitating a posh snobby accent. While Don helped Mike in hooking up the incubator again, Venus and Leonardo tucked Diana into the single bed, slightly worried with how she was coping with the anesthetics. They were all tired from their ordeal and none of them were completely over the effects of the tranquilizers. So once everything had been put in place, everyone tiredly found a spot in the room to crash for the rest of the night.

It was early in the afternoon when everyone started to stir from their slumber. Both Venus and Leonardo were relieved to see that after some sleep Diana was beginning to overcome her dosage of anesthetic. Being awake and well, she was finally properly introduced to her long lost uncle. "Diana, I would like you to meet your uncle, Donatello," Leonardo gently said. The girl bit her lip and shyly looked at the turtle with the purple mask.

"Hello Don, Don, Donitello," Diana greeted with difficulty once Leo had given her a bit of a nudge.

"Hi Diana. You can just call me Don," Don simplified. "I like your white bandanna. I think it really suits you," Don complimented. Diana smiled at that comment.

"Hey Don! Do you have anything to eat?" Mike called out, feeling hungry.

"That's right, we haven't had breakfast yet," Don realised.

"It's a bit late for that, but I'm up for it," Leo said with a smile.

"I have cereal, toast, juice…" Donatello tried to remember what he had stocked.

"Cereal will be fine," Leo spoke for Venus, the two children and himself.

"Give me something uniquely Australian," Mike challenged him.

"Uniquely Australian? Um… Okay Mike," Don said, slightly unsure with what he could get him. A wicked smile swept across his face when he saw the jar of Vegemite on his shelf. After setting everyone up with their bowls of cereal, Don watched Mike spread the Vegemite on his toast for entertainment purposes. His smile grew even wider as he observed Mike thickly applying the black, salty substance to the bread. Mike was about to bite into it, when he noticed Don's expression.

"Why are you smiling like that? This is really disgusting, isn't it?" Mike saw through Don's game.

"Vegemite to Americans is like Dr Pepper to Australians," Donatello said with an intelligent tone.

"What ever that's supposed to mean," Mike muttered suspiciously. Taking a deep breath, Mike opened his mouth and took a bite. Donatello laughed when he saw Mike's face scrunch up as though he had just ate a large, sour lemon. "Eew! It's really salty!" Mike exclaimed when he reluctantly swallowed it down.

"Well you asked for something uniquely Australian. This is an Aussie icon!" Don replied. The turtle took the slice of toast out of Mike's hand and scraped off the excess Vegemite so there was less on it. "Try it now," Don offered. Cautiously Michelangelo tried it again, yet this time his response was more positive.

"It's better with less on it. I have to say it's an acquired taste though," Mike analysed. "Have anything else that isn't as funky as this?" Mike asked. Don nodded, and after a few minutes of preparation, he gave Mike a proper sandwich. Licking his lips, Mike took a bite and was surprised to taste an unusual vegetable. "What's this?" Mike said with a mouth full, pointing to the purple-red object.

"Betroot," Don said simply.

"Betroot on sandwiches?" Mike exclaimed.

"Yeah, it's an Australian thing. McDonalds has a special burger called the McOz, and that has betroot on it," Donatello informed him.

"Really? How bizarre," Mike said.

"Do you have any bananas or something?" Silver interrupted rudely. Don sighed and checked the refrigerator to see if he had preserved some fruit in there. Luckily enough, he found a banana and handed it Silver. "It's as hard as a rock!" Silver whined at the frozen stiffness of his yellow fruit. Donatello simply shrugged.

"Beggars can't be choosers," Don said simply. Silver grumped in response and sat down at the table along with the others. Everyone suddenly fell silent, once again feeling awkward around each other. The rest of breakfast/lunch was a quiet affair, with the only sound being Silver's thumping; whacking the banana against the table in order to unthaw it. Donatello sighed when he witnessed his rapidly depleting food resources. "I'm going to have to go topside to hunt for some supplies," Don announced tiredly.

"I'll help you," Leo said, wanting some time alone to spend with his beloved brother. Together in unison, they put on their trench coats and fedoras and left the awkward silence of the lair. They walked quietly down the numerous tunnels, and Leonardo finally struck up a conversation. "So what have you been doing over the years?" Leo asked.

"Oh, nothing much really. I've basically just worked on building up my lair… Living from day to day. That sort of thing," Donatello replied.

"Michelangelo tried to rescue you while you were in Washington," Leo informed him softly.

"Really?" Donatello said out of shock.

"Yeah, except you beat him to it," Leo said with a smile. Don gently smiled back.

"I doubt he would have found me though. I was working in the Pentagon," Donatello commented casually.

"Really?" It was Leo's turn to be shocked.

"Yeah, I met the President twice," Donatello said with a gentle smile of remembrance.

"Did you shake his hand?" Leo wondered, partly jealous.

"No. I don't think he was even allowed to touch me. Or talk to me for that matter," Donatello said sadly.

"So can you tell me any Government secrets?" Leonardo wondered, making friendly conversation.

"Um… Let's see. There are actually three Air Force One planes; the other two are decoys or spares… uh… Everyone knows that carbon dioxide gas causes Global Warming; they're just not going to admit 'cause then they'll have to change to solar power… and aliens were actually recovered from the Roswell crash," Donatello informed him seriously.

"…Wow…" was all Leo said, still trying to take in all the information he had heard.

They continued to walk down the tunnel, both falling into silence once again. "So what have you guys been up to?" Don asked, trying to force the conversation.

"Gees, I wouldn't know where to start!" Leonardo exclaimed, thinking about all that had happened over the past eight years.

"Well… How long have you and Venus been together?" Donatello asked a question that wasn't as broad.

"Um… Ages. Seven, possibly bordering on eight years now," Leonardo said with a smile. Donatello nodded in understanding, yet Leo could sense some disappointment and regret. Deciding not to ask what was wrong, he continued to talk. "We didn't have kids straight away because Raphael was still only a baby, and it was hard for us to remain hidden from society as it was. When Raph was three though, Venus got tired of waiting and trying to escape from England, so we had Diana," Leonardo explained generally.

"So how old is Diana now?" Don questioned.

"Four."

"They're really great kids," Don complimented softly. Leonardo gave a small smile of acceptance. "It must have been hard to raise them, you know, with all the running and the whole zoo ordeal," Don stated.

"You're right. It was. But… what can you do? Wait forever until we're safe before we start a family? We might never be out of harms way… I wish we could have raised them under different circumstances, but the time seemed right back then…" Leonardo trailed off.

"I understand," Don said softly. "So… what's this whole thing about Mikey being a father?" Donatello finally asked after his curiosity got the better of him.

"The scientists at the zoo used artificial insemination," Leonardo said with a hint of anger.

"Oh…" was all that Don could say in response. "So are both of them Mikey's?"

"No, the other one's mine. Apparently some turtles can…" Leonardo trailed off again.

"I see," Donatello understood. "I'm guessing that Venus was really upset about this," Don predicted.

"Yeah… It um… really threatened our marriage," Leonardo muttered quietly.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Don said softly, not wanting to delve further into the matter.

"But… we've both come to accept the circumstances, and I suppose we both understand that the scientists were only trying to improve the survival rate of our species. There was one thing though that Venus said…" Leonardo didn't finish his sentence. Donatello knew how hard life must have been for Leonardo and the others, and a part of him was touched with acceptance with the thought that Leonardo could talk to him so openly despite the difference of eight years. After experiencing so many awkward silences, he was glad to have an in-depth conversation with at least one member of his long lost family. Although Leo seemed uncomfortable with the current topic, Donatello knew that it weighed heavily on his mind and that a part of him wanted to let it out and talk about it.

"Go on," Don urged, giving Leo some reassurance. Leonardo sighed and remained silent for a few seconds while he prepared what he was going to say.

"Venus wondered if it was worth it… If escaping was worth it in the long run," Leonardo said slowly.

"How so?" Don wondered.

"Well…Venus was kind of right. The scientists were only doing what they thought was beneficial to our species. You know what I mean? If we stayed there, then we'd be assured that our species would continue on genetically…" Leonardo pondered.

"I know, but with being such an endangered species, the scientists would probably be in a rush and it wouldn't have been long till they experimented with Diana. Yes, I agree that they would have helped in broadening the gene pool, but regardless of how many 'healthy' combinations there are, in the end for the third or fourth generation to exist…"

"Inbreeding will have to occur," Leonardo softly concluded Donatello's line of thinking. Don nodded sadly.

"I knew it from the first day we knew of Venus' existence. Back when I was seventeen, I must have thought out a million and one scenarios but… it all came to the same conclusion. It's inevitable Leo, as horrible as it sounds. But what would you rather have? Just become extinct, or continue on as a new species, even though it could get a bit… messy later on?" Donatello reasoned softly, somewhat ashamed of his morally wrong point of view.

"I don't know what I want anymore," Leonardo said. It was then when Leo realised that not only was he the leader of the battles and plans, but he was also the leader of a whole new species on the earth. He knew ages ago that he had to make decisions on what was best for the entire clan, but now his job had become so much more important… and trickier. His decisions were no longer black and white, but rather they were gray; both being right and wrong, with no answer being entirely correct. Leo rubbed his temple as he tried to fight off an oncoming psychological headache. "So what things do we have to grab?" Leonardo changed the subject.

"Um… whatever we can find," Donatello said simply as he unlocked the gate that led to the world above.

Half an hour later, they returned to the same spot with a number of stolen fruits and canned foods. They hadn't said a word since as they had mainly been focused on the task at hand. Yet Donatello knew that their future as a species greatly troubled Leonardo and that this wasn't going to be the last time that Leo brought up the uncomfortable subject.

Donatello sighed with relief when they finally arrived back at the lair; partly thankful that the silence could end. As soon as he packed away the various supplies he was carrying, Michelangelo approached him with a bat and a set of wickets in hand. "Up for a game of cricket?" he enticed. Donatello smiled.

"I didn't know you liked the sport," Don commented with a raised eye ridge.

"Well this is what happens after spending a part of your life in England," Mike replied cheerfully.

"Alright, I'll play," Don relented. "But I want to give you something first," Don invited. Leading Mike over to a large black bag, Don reached in and pulled out the numerous CDs and gaming devices that he had recovered from the lair in New York. Michelangelo gasped in surprise and astonishment as he stared at all his forgotten belongings.

"I didn't know you had these!" Mike uttered out in happiness.

"Well, they're yours again now," Don said with a smile, simply loving the joyous expression on his brother's face. With a couple of thankful tears in his eyes, Mike hugged Donatello tightly in gratitude.

"Now what about that game of yours?" Don suggested once Mike had recovered from the initial shock. With a nod, the two adult turtles departed from the lair to find a spot where they could play cricket; Mike taking his old Walkman with him. While Don set up the wickets, Mike was surprised once again when he realised that the batteries still worked. Setting up the Walkman so that it played out of its speakers, he left it to the side and lined up with a bat in front of the wickets. The sad and familiar tune of 'Iris' by the Goo Goo Dolls filled the tunnel.

"Oh my gosh! This is my favourite song!" Mike exclaimed out of excitement. While waiting for Donatello to throw the ball, Mike singed along with the chorus.

"Please don't sing," Don groaned as he threw the ball at the wickets. Mike whacked it with the bat and started to run from one spot to another, getting a couple of points while doing so.

"What's wrong with this song?" Mike asked when Don finally came back after retrieving the ball.

"I don't know. It somehow reminds me of Raph…" Don commented before throwing the ball again. Mike managed to score another couple of runs before Donatello returned again.

"What, the whole thing about being misunderstood by the world?" Mike wondered. Don nodded.

"That and the blood and heaven references," Don added.

"That's true…" Mike admitted. Donatello threw the ball again, and Mike sent it flying. Mike started to run in order to score points, but he stopped halfway. "How many runs have I gotten?" Mike lost count once Donatello had returned with the ball. The turtle in purple shrugged.

"I don't know. If you ask me, you didn't exactly pull me away from the lair simply for a game of cricket," Don analysed. Mike looked down at the ground, knowing that the statement was true. "So what do you want to talk about?" Donatello asked in a brotherly fashion. He didn't care about the game either, nor about the future conversation. Just seeing Mike in person was good enough for him.

Mike sighed and sat down against the tunnel's wall after turning the music off. Donatello instinctively followed, curious to hear what Mike had to say. "I don't think I'm ready to be a father yet. I mean, I love kids and all, and I would like one of my own but… I dunno, I just don't think I'm ready yet," Mike confessed.

"Most parents feel that way when they're about to have their first. Maybe you should talk to Leo about this considering he has children of his own," Donatello suggested.

"Don't get me wrong, I really like Leo and Venus' company, but… I really missed you Donny. Trust me, I've spoken to Leo enough," Mike said lightheartedly. Don smiled in response.

"So how's life been with Leo and Venus?" Don wondered.

"Um… It's sucked, to put it bluntly. I know that we should live as a family and everything, but when Leo and Venus got together, I just felt awkward; that I was always a nuisance. I couldn't help but feel that they wanted some privacy, but I couldn't do that because sometimes it was simply too dangerous to leave the lair," Mike explained.

"You felt like you were extra baggage?" Don asked.

"Yeah, exactly," Mike agreed with Don's assessment. "And now that I'm going to have a kid… well… things are only going to become even more awkward between me, Venus and Leo," Mike worried.

"Maybe… but then again it might bring you closer to them considering they'll most likely help raise the child for you," Don thought positively.

"Possibly… Venus told me that she'd help out but… I don't think she will anymore. I don't really blame her either, but I'd just feel more comfortable if I knew for certain she will help me out with this," Mike continued. Donatello was rather quiet for a while.

"Do you still like Venus?" Don questioned softly. With a sigh, Mike nodded his head. "So do I…" Don muttered inaudibly under his breath.

"I've made a new friend though," Mike said with a more positive note.

"Really? Who?"

"Her name's Sarah," Mike stated.

"Sarah… Sarah Watson?" Don guessed.

"Yeah! How did you know?" Mike asked curiously.

"I've done my share of research," Don replied. "She was the one who freed you guys from the zoo the first time, wasn't she?" Don asked.

"Yeah," Mike rectified. "She moved over to London with us and she's been a family friend ever since. Sarah then got citizenship and a job in the fashion industry, so when we got caught again, it became too difficult and obvious if she tried to rescue us. She visited us at the zoo twice though, when she managed to afford plane tickets, but she couldn't really talk to us unlike last time because the staff were still suspicious of her," Mike summarised.

"She sounds like a nice person," Don thought out loud.

"She is! Venus would have called Raphael Sarah if he was a girl… Maybe I should steal her idea and call my daughter that!" Mike wondered excitedly with a smile.

"That's if it is a girl," Don reminded him. "So have you thought of any names yet?" Don asked out of curiosity.

"Um… If it's a boy, I'll call him Michael-"

"Michael and Michelangelo? You're so creative," Don teased. Mike simply gave him a smile.

"Michael, Cosmo, Astro, Jerry um… and maybe even Casey," Mike continued on with his list of names. Donatello raised an eye ridge at the more unusual ones. "Then for a girl, I'd call her either Sarah, Seven, Mikora, Michelle… Iris," Mike suggested.

"Iris? After that Goo Goo Dolls song!" Don protested.

"What's wrong with it? I like that song; it's my favourite!" Mike rebutted. "And for your information Mr Smarty Pants, Iris is a Greek goddess so it fits in with the whole theme that Venus made up. So ha!" Mike argued lightheartedly with a cheeky grin on his face. Donatello simply rolled his eyes. They were quiet for a while mainly because Mike had suddenly entered a deep thought process. "It's a shame that I can't raise the baby as a couple," Mike murmured, though Don was still able to hear his comment.

"Well you can join me in singlehood," Donatello invited, trying to break the tension for a change. Mike smiled in response at his comment. He never could stay sad for long. "Just remember that babies usually are a good magnet for potential females," Donatello reminded him with an uncharacteristic wink.

Michelangelo started to laugh.

"Potential females? You make it sound so scientific!" Mike giggled. "Speaking of scientific… don't tell anyone else this but I think Dr Aquel is pretty hot," Mike said in conjunction with a raise of the eye ridge. It was then Donatello's turn to laugh.

"Oh no. You've been at that zoo too long!" Don groaned with a smile.

"Nah I'm serious! She's not that bad looking. I reckon she'll be a great girlfriend for you, once she stops pointing tranquilizer dart guns at us," Mike joked. Don rolled his eyes again.

"It's actually quite ironic that you said that. Do you know that in a recent survey, zoo keepers said that the turtle was the fifth most attractive… or sexiest animal in the animal kingdom," Donatello stated.

"Really? What was number one?" Mike wondered.

"A dog. Second was the tiger," Don said with a smile. Mike grinned as he thought of something mischievous.

"So… If I pounce around on a bed wearing tiger patterned underwear, while wearing a dog leash, I'd be the sexiest animal in the world?" Mike joked in wonderment.

"Michelangelo, I'd be out of that bedroom so fast that you wouldn't have seen me enter," Venus said as she approached them. Mike jumped in fright at her sudden appearance before blushing in embarrassment, all the while Donatello cracked up laughing. "How long have you been listening in?" Mike asked her worriedly.

"Not long," Venus admitted.

"Well you shouldn't be listening in at all! We were having a manly conversation," Mike said.

"About tiger panties," Venus with a raised eye ridge and a smirk. Donatello started giggling again. Mike slapped him on the arm.

"Donny! Why aren't you helping me out here?" Mike whined.

"Sorry Mikey, but you started this mess and now you have to clean it up," Don said with a grin.

"Why are you here anyway?" Mike questioned Venus.

"Leonardo was worried where you guys had gone, considering it's nearly dinner time," Venus explained.

"Oh shoot! I have to cook dinner!" Don exclaimed.

"You _cook_?" Michelangelo was astonished.

"Well… I nuke, not cook," Donatello corrected himself.

"Some things never change," Venus commented with a smile.

"Maybe we can all just have those Krispy Kremes tonight for dinner?" Don pondered to himself in laziness, not being used to cooking dinner for a family of their size.

"But we have seven people, including Silver, and only one dozen donuts. So we'll only each have… twelve divided by seven," Mike trailed off, trying to calculate the number in his head and by counting on his fingers. Donatello and Venus gave him a blank look.

"Don't hurt your head Mikey," Venus said slyly.

"You made me lose my concentration!" Mike whined at the female before starting to count on his fingers again.

"Need help?" Don offered.

"No… I can do this," Mike said, though this time he was more unsure.

"Why can't we just exclude Silver?" Don wondered out loud.

"That's mean," Venus countered. They all fell silent as they heard the rustling of leaves further up the tunnel.

'_Oh no! We've been talking too loud!_' Mike thought in panic. Not wasting any time, both Venus and Michelangelo ran to the nearest corner to hide behind, though Donatello remained frozen in his place.

Author's Note: Originally Mike sung some of the lyrics to 'Iris' however I had to edit them out due to the site's new rule. So if you're a little confused about what they're talking about, then just search for the song lyrics over the Internet. Sorry I can't be more helpful.:(


	29. The Deal

A/N: Um… Okay, as it works out, this isn't the second to last chapter. So we've got just a few more to come.

Mily – That's because I am Australian! I know a lot about England because a lot of our culture is similar, and I know a lot about the United States because we get a lot of the US programs, music and businesses over here. I also went on a student exchange program to Seattle a bit over a year ago now, so I learnt a lot from that experience.

Chapter 29: The Deal.

Donatello stayed where he stood and started to laugh. "Guys! It's okay!" Donatello tried to call Venus and Michelangelo back, partly surprised at how edgy they were. The two turtles timidly returned, feeling quite stupid for suddenly running away from the unknown noise. The sound of rustling leaves occurred again.

"What is that?" Venus tried to distinguish the figure that was located further down the tunnel.

"Um… Just one of my pet American alligator snapping turtles," Donatello replied matter-of-factly. Venus and Mike gave each other a weird and confused look. The three mutants approached the lumbering and noisy reptile. The snapping turtle opened its mouth as a warning, but Donatello took no notice and stroked its shell.

"Cool! Can I have a pat?" Mike asked. Donatello nodded.

"Just watch out for the mouth. It can snap your fingers in half," Don said casually. With that said, Mike freaked out and jumped back, giving the turtle a one-meter radius before he finally found the guts to approach the creature from behind. A small smile spread across his lips when he started to stroke the endangered animal's carapace.

"Wow… It feels just like me," Mike said with a grin.

"We should get Raphael and Diana to see this," Venus said thoughtfully.

"I'll send for them. I need to go back to the lair anyway so I can start dinner," Donatello reasoned. With a nod from Venus, Don left the two with the wild turtle and headed back towards his home. When he got there, Donatello was surprised to see Leonardo looking through the atlas he had hoarded over the past couple of years.

"Don… We need to discuss a few things," Leonardo said when he noticed his brother's entrance. Donatello looked at Raphael and Diana who were curiously looking through the many objects he had stored in his lair.

"Hey Raphael, I've got a special someone who'd like to meet you," Don enticed, realising that Leo probably wanted to talk to him privately.

"Who?" Raph asked out of curiosity.

"Walk up the tunnel where Mike and Venus are, and you'll see. Take your sister with you," Don encouraged. Raphael nodded, knowing that Don and Leo didn't want distractions originating from them. The boy did what he was told and led Diana out of the lair. Donatello looked towards Silver who was currently flicking through the television channels mindlessly. "Would you like to go with them?" Donatello invited, wanting to get rid of the ape. Silver shook his head while still having his eyes glued onto the illuminated screen. Donatello groaned and decided that for the time being he'd just have to ignore his old enemy.

"What is it Leo?" Donatello finally asked the blue-wearing turtle with both a curious and worried tone.

"We're going to have to move soon," Leonardo muttered while still observing the atlas he had laid out on the table. Those words ripped through Donatello's heart. He didn't want to leave; he was scared of the consequences of losing both his highly equipped lair and his family once again.

"Why!?" Donatello blurted out in shock and anger.

"Bonesteel's after us again. Knowing him, he'll probably arrive in Australia a few hours from now, and then he'll start to hunt around these sewers for us. We have to come up with a plan and leave as soon as possible," Leonardo advised.

"But… Is that really necessary? Moving seems a little… drastic to me, especially when we have a lair as well equipped as mine," Donatello protested.

"But we need to do it Donny. It doesn't matter how secure your home is. The point is that Bonetseel won't stop searching until he's found and captured us again," Leonardo said firmly. Donatello shuddered at the thought. That was the last thing he wanted to happen. Not only would the breeding experiments be continued on his family back at the zoo, but he would be returned to the Pentagon, not being allowed to see his loved ones ever again. Donatello sighed in confusion about his personal opinions. He didn't want to put his family in danger, yet at the same time he didn't want to lose the home he had been working and living in for the past eight years.

"I've got a security alarm system set up though. We don't have to leave when we can protect ourselves. We're perfectly safe here," Donatello pleaded, though he knew what he had just said was a lie. Silver scoffed in response, though his eyes remained glued to the ever-changing television screen. Security or not, nothing would make them safe from the curiosity and greed of the human species.

"Don… We have to leave this place, and you know that already. You have to understand that if we don't leave early, then later on we won't be able to leave at all. Trust me on this. It's happened before," Leonardo continued to advise and lecture him. Donatello sighed with mixed feelings once again.

"Hey guys!" Mike greeted as he, Venus and the two children reentered the lair.

"Back so soon?" Don wondered.

"Yeah, well you're little friend up there was starting to get grumpy, so we decided to give him some space and leave him alone for a while," Mike informed him with a smile. Venus observed the opened atlas in front of Leonardo.

"Planning on where to go next?" she wondered. Leo nodded slowly.

"I was just discussing it with Donatello," Leo said. The room fell silent as all eyes watched Don's indecision on the matter. He timidly cleared his throat after gaining some thought.

"Although… it would be really hard to leave this place since I've put so much work into it… if you think it's necessary to leave… then I'll trust your judgment," Donatello concluded. He hated being placed in the position of choosing between the location he knew so well and the safety of his family, but in the end he realised that Leonardo and the others knew a whole lot more of being chased and pursued than he did. Leo agreed and smiled at his final decision, glad that he could get the planning under way.

"So where are we heading to next?" Mike asked, though his tone of voice sounded as though he was sick of the topic. All of the turtles and Silver gathered around the open atlas.

"Well… maybe we don't have to leave the country. I don't particularly want to travel by plane again, so we could just go to Brisbane, Melbourne or Canberra," Leonardo suggested.

"And… how would we get there?" Don couldn't help but ask.

"Well… we could get to Melbourne or Brisbane by boat. Or we could just drive; steal a car or something," Leo thought. Donatello raised an eye ridge at his answer.

"Leo… Australia's a big place. It'll take us two days to drive to Brisbane, one long drive to Melbourne, and Australia's capital, Canberra, although reasonably close, is in the middle of nowhere surrounded by nothing but sheep farms. As for going by boat, it'll take some time and there aren't many trips available as everyone usually just travels by plane," Donatello analysed.

"Just how big is Australia anyway?" Mike wondered, thinking it was like Europe where you could just simply drive everywhere.

"It's only slightly smaller than the United States," Don said, giving them a size comparison in their heads. "What's wrong with traveling by plane anyway?" Don wondered.

"We find it's dangerous as Bonesteel can usually predict where we are going, and then it becomes really hard to get out of high security International Airports," Leo summarised gloomily.

"Then we'll use the Domestic Airports then. The only problem is, is where Bonesteel will think we're going to next," Don said. Everyone fell silent for a while, trying to get into the hunter's psyche.

"He'll know that we won't go back to the United States, or back to England," Venus was the first to speak up.

"And he's right on that account. I'm not going back there," Mike shuddered.

"He'll predict that we'll leave Sydney, and we have to, because he'll thoroughly search this city just for the sake of it," Leonardo said with a hint of anger.

"He'll do it with every other major city in this country as well," Silver spoke up with a dark tone in his voice.

"How about Japan? That's reasonably close by isn't it?" Mike suggested.

"I don't know whether Bonesteel will think of Japan as well, Mike," Venus said sadly.

"Why can't we just return to New York and hunt Bonesteel, instead of him hunting us all the time," Raphael suggested.

"Don't be silly Raph," was all Leo said. Although everyone disapproved, Raphael thought he recognised a glint of intrigue in Silver's eyes. Leonardo suddenly came up with an idea. "How about China then? You used to live there. We could stay where Chung I used to live," Leo suggested to Venus. The female turtle thought about the possibilities.

"It's been over tens years since I've been there though. I suppose it's worth a shot," Venus agreed. "Now the only question is how we are going to get there," Venus thought with a small frown on her face. Donatello looked more closely at the atlas.

"Well… I don't think there are many flights from Sydney to Shanghai; where you used to live, but…" Donatello flicked over the next couple of pages in the atlas to confirm his train of thought. "…I know for a fact that Cairns, located in the far North of Australia, attracts a lot of Asian tourists, particularly from Japan. So… we could bunny hop from one place to the next; fly domestic from Sydney to Cairns, Internationally from Cairns to Tokyo, then from Tokyo overseas to Shanghai. Having so many small flights, although it raises our chances to be spotted, will throw Bonesteel off track, especially since the first flight is domestic when they're expecting us to fly internationally from Sydney," Donatello suggested. Everyone took some time to think over the possibilities that Donatello had shown.

"It's pretty crazy Don, doing all those flights…" Leo said. Discouraged, Don was about to think of another plan, but he stopped when he saw Leo suddenly smile. "I like it!" Leo said positively. "We should leave as soon as possible though. We'll try our luck at around three in the morning. So I'll want to see everyone in bed and packed early," Leonardo commanded, making the final decision. Silver groaned at the hours he suggested, though he stopped whining when Leo gave him a hard glare.

With their future left in the hands of a couple of plane flights, everyone started to help Donatello pack and cook dinner. With nothing left in the lair to entertain themselves, one by one they all went to sleep early, just like Leonardo had suggested them to. An alarm clock was set for two thirty in the morning.

Although he had his eyes closed, Donatello couldn't fall asleep. He was way too nervous to simply relax. A small part of himself wanted to weep about the place he was leaving, and the stress and fear of the possibility of losing everything again, though he would never actually find the tears to cry. It really was a scary world out there. He took a deep breath and tried to clear his mind in order to get a decent amount of sleep before they had to leave, but those horrible thoughts and fears that had plagued him over the years quickly returned. Although he now had his family, he also had more to lose compared to when he was alone. His decision to travel to Cairns haunted him over and over; his mind wondering whether there could have been a better way or solution.

Frustrated, Donatello opened his eyes and looked at the alarm clock, only to find it was only midnight. Worried, Don sat up and scanned his eyes across the floor of his lair; half expecting them all to be gone and that everything that had happened over the past twenty-four hours had only been a dream. Yet as he knew deep down, they were all still there, though he jumped in shock when he locked eyes with Venus from across the other side of the room. "Can't sleep?" she asked quietly. Donatello shook his head. Detaching herself from Leo's sleepy hold, she left her husband's arms and carefully made her way across the room so that she could sit next to Don.

"Are you worried about leaving?" Don whispered his question as to make sure no one else woke up. Venus nodded her head. "Me too," Don said softly.

"It's been a while since I've been back to China… I don't know what to expect or find," Venus admitted.

"It'll be interesting all the same," Don said. Venus smiled.

"I guess it will be," Venus said softly. Donatello grinned when he heard her voice again.

"You know… after all these years you spent in America and England… you can still hear your Asian accent," Don said with a wide smile.

"Really?" Venus was surprised. Don nodded with a grin.

"Yeah, I mean, all the others have a British accent now, except for Silver of course, but you…" Don started then broke into a few giggles. "It's just amusing that's all," Don said with a smile.

"I don't think anyone's ever commented on it before," Venus wondered.

"It's probably because they're used to it. Though I must say, it's definitely not as strong as what it was when you first met us," Donatello analysed.

"Well I'm not the only one with a weird accent," Venus said with a grin while looking directly at Donatello.

"Do I sound Australian?" Don wondered, not being able to hear his own accent. Venus nodded. Donatello pouted. "I can't decide whether it's a good thing or not," Don said lightheartedly.

"If you ask me, I think it's cute," Venus humoured him. Don rolled his eyes.

"Well that's not saying much. You used to think that everything's cute. I mean, you'd probably say that Silver is cute," Donatello said, remembering his past experiences with the female. Venus smiled.

"But he is cute!" Venus admitted. Don's eyes widened, shocked that she actually admitted it. "But look at him!" Venus pointed out. Donatello turned his head and stared at the sleeping silvery ape. His body was curled up and his fur was ruffled and fluffy around his head, while his hands were neatly tucked under and used as a pillow in the stereotypical sleeping gesture. Donatello frowned and sighed.

"Alright, you have a point. But only when he's sleeping," Don said.

"I agree," Venus said with a grin. Tired, Donatello yawned, though he knew he couldn't go back to sleep just yet. Scanning his eyes across the lair, he found the large black bag he had taken from his old home in New York. Venus watched on with curiosity as Donatello rummaged through the bag.

"I thought this might help remind you of your home in China. I thought it would be appropriate to give these to you now since we are going to leave to go there fairly soon," Donatello said as he pulled out the various items. Venus gasped in surprise while tears of joy started to quickly stream down her face.

"I thought I'd never see these again," Venus said, still shocked as she went through the numerous Shinobi Scrolls and Chinese medicines and spells.

"I visited the old subway lair before I went to Australia. I've been keeping them in this bag ever since," Don said softly.

"But… but you hated these. You… you never agreed with my Shinobi beliefs or heritage," Venus said, still surprised. "I'd thought I'd lost them forever," Venus said more to herself than to Donatello.

"Well… I knew how much they meant to you," Donatello admitted. Venus nodded as her tears of happiness and surprise continued to flow down her cheeks. All of her scrolls and teachings had been passed down to her from her Master Chung I who had died many years ago. Having her Shinobi lessons cut short, she relied heavily on the scrolls to teach herself. With some of them dating back hundreds of years, she knew that the scrolls were irreplaceable. It saddened her when she was either captured or in another city to know that she had failed her master in keeping the sacred scrolls and in attempting to become a Shinobi herself. Her lessons had been permanently stopped; not being able to learn past what she already knew. But now with the scrolls being returned to her, she could finally start learning the Shinobi ways again; the way of life which meant so much to her.

Donatello smiled to know that he could make Venus so happy. She hugged him in thankfulness, completely surprised that him, out of all people, would allow and condone her learning and teachings. Wiping away her tears, she looked Don in the face. "Thank you," she whispered seriously. Don only smiled back.

"It was the least I could do… just don't do any weird voodoo magic tricks around me, okay," Don said with a smile. Venus giggled and nodded her head in agreement before giving him another hug of appreciation. Donatello sighed. He had missed her so much over the years. It surprised him how much he used to think of her, compared to the others. Over time, he concluded that he missed her so much because of the fact she was a female, and that he was reaching the age where he wanted to settle down, though his dreams of peace had been partially shattered when he realised that Venus was already taken. He had to admit that he was jealous of Leo. Who wouldn't be? Especially since Venus was the only female ninja turtle around his age. In an instant he realised how Mike must have felt over the years; watching Leo and Venus slowly get closer and closer together, while feeling more like an intruder at the same time. Yet there was some comfort in that last thought; at least he now had Mike to spend time with in the oncoming years of being a bachelor.

With a hint of sadness in his eyes, Don looked at the lonely egg in the incubator. Although both Mike and Don were single, Don knew that the baby would separate their likeness in personal relationships; Mike would be a single father while he would simply be a lonely man.

"Mike was getting worried that you wouldn't help him with the baby, once the egg has hatched," Don said softly while still looking at the incubator. Venus followed his gaze before her eyes fell to the floor.

"I'll help him in the first couple of months…" Venus said softly.

"What about after?" Don asked. Venus continued to look sadly at the floor.

"Don… Mike's child wasn't planned. Whenever I look at the egg I… I think of how I unwantedly fell pregnant and how Leo and I almost broke up because of it," Venus said the last part of her sentence so quietly that Donatello almost didn't hear it.

"What happened between you and Leo?" Don wondered. Venus turned her head away, not being sure on how to answer. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked… It's not my business," Don said, ashamed of himself.

"No, it's alright. Leo… had his suspicions about me and I got a bit angry at his accusations. But he trusted my story in the end, but then we had to deal with the problems and disagreements on how exactly we were going to raise or treat Mike's child," Venus admitted.

"What decision did you come to?" Don wondered.

"That we would raise him or her as a family," Venus said softly. "The only thing is, I know that Mike will love his child to bits and will most likely become responsible for almost every aspect of their life. He wants me to help, but I know that he's secretly capable and wanting to do it himself. It's as though… He doesn't really like to interfere with Leo and myself," Venus fell silent for a few seconds. "To be perfectly honest, as horrible as it sounds, I don't know how much I'll be able to love the child. I know it sounds cruel but… I didn't want it in the first place, and I know that in the end I'll only just be favouring Leo's oncoming child compared to Mike's," Venus admitted. A tear fell down her face, though it wasn't produced out of sheer happiness like it had been minutes before, but rather out of shame and pure sadness.

"Is there anyway that your mind will change on how you view the child?" Don asked with compassion.

"Sure, I mean maybe when the egg hatches, I'll begin to feel like more of a mother towards it. But right now…" Venus trailed off. "I guess only time will tell," she summarised softly. Donatello looked at the scroll in her hand.

"So are you planning on teaching any of your children the way of the Shinobi?" Donatello asked. He looked at Venus only to find that she was huddled in pain. "Venus? Are you alright?" Don asked, quickly sounding concerned. Venus clutched her stomach and shook her head.

"I think I'm going to having the other one," Venus said, referring to Leo's egg that was still inside her body. Donatello nodded to show that he understood, and without moving from Venus' side, Don prodded Leonardo awake with his foot.

"Leo!" Don called out loudly. Alarmed by his brother's tone of voice, Leo's eyes shot open.

"What is it!?" Leonardo asked while looking as though he was about to attack something.

"Venus is having the baby," Donatello informed him quickly. In an instant, Leo was by her side as well. It didn't take long for the rest of the clan to wake up.

"Is it time to leave yet?" Silver mumbled from his sleep, wondering what all the commotion was about.

"No, Venus is having her baby!" Mike said excitedly. Silver grumbled something incoherent, grabbed a nearby cushion, and covered his eyes and ears so that he could continue on sleeping. Donatello stepped aside so that Mike could deliver the baby like always, but Michelangelo stopped him by clasping the top rim of his carapace. "Now where do you think you're going? C'mon, if I could do the last three, then surely the 'Doctor' can at least do one," Mike stated before pushing Don between Venus' legs. Don blushed, being slightly embarrassed at where he was, but when Venus started to push, Donatello ignored his humiliated feelings and began to focus on helping her instead.

Unlike the previous night where it took hours to deliver the egg, this time it only took ten minutes. "You're getting better at this," Mike stated with disbelief when he checked the time.

"It still hurts the same," Venus groaned while she wiped some sweat off her brow.

"Maybe it's my well executed delivery skills," Don said to Mike with a smile.

"In your dreams, Don. In your dreams," Mike replied.

"Well what's your fastest time?" Don challenged. Mike smirked at his directness before looking away. "I thought so!" Don said lightheartedly.

"But it isn't fair. Last night's one carved the way for tonight's one. That's why it was faster. It has nothing to do with you," Mike debated.

"Guys…" Leo interrupted as a sign for them to stop. He tilted his head towards Venus, who was fast asleep with the newly laid egg in her hands. Not saying another word, Leo took the egg out of her arms and placed it into the incubator along with its 'twin'. Immediately Mike found a spare pencil and wrote a big 'M' on the top of one of the eggs. Leo gave him a quizzical look. "What was that for?"

"So I know what one's mine," Mike answered quickly, as though Leo should have known. Without saying another word, all the turtles went back to bed, ready to leave the country in another couple of hour's time.

__

Midday, the next day.

Bonesteel wanted to yawn from jet lag, but he didn't; wanting to stay within the moment of the hunt. He could sense that he was close. He felt like he could smell them… Bonesteel knew that he was on the right track, and he wasn't going to take any chances and let them get away. Not this time. Stepping ever so slowly, he and a couple of other well renowned hunters moved closer and closer to their destination.

Coming to a tight corner, he signaled his followers to stop where they were so that he could continue on alone. This was his prize, and no one else was going to get the glory. Rounding the corner quietly, gun raised, Bonesteel jumped out… and found nothing.

In front of him definitely was a lair, yet it didn't seem to be occupied anymore. A table, a few chairs, an empty box of Krispy Kremes and a couple of odd pieces of furniture were all that remained. No turtles. No giant, talking silver ape. Bonesteel sighed in annoyance. "Where are they?" one of his men asked him.

"They're gone," Bonesteel said. "They'd be out of the country by now," Bonesteel sensed and assumed by the look of the lair. The hunter cursed under his breath in frustration. He was angry about what happened in the past twenty-four hours. When he had first boarded the plane to Australia, he was told that most of the turtles had been caught, and that he'd only have to hunt the rest, yet when he arrived in the foreign country, all of them had escaped. And now this had happened.

Bonesteel sighed in anger. He knew that he shouldn't rule out the possibility of the mutants still being within the country, but he had better things to do with his time. Although Bonesteel was now a wealthy man, he still invested in the Black Market; using his fame to deceive people into thinking he was a good and talented man by saving the cities from the 'horror' of the dangerous mutant beasts. Tonight, at his warehouse in New York, he was expecting an illegal shipment of Black Rhinoceros horns, and although the matter could be handled by his long time partner in crime, Leeroy, he still wanted to be there considering the exporter had gone so far out of his way to give him the body parts. It would be more professional on his part if he was there when the deal was done personally. After all, he had an excellent reputation in the hunting and black market world to uphold.

"So what are you going to do now?" the man asked him, wanting a command.

"Do whatever you like. I've got some business to attend to back in New York," Bonesteel said.

"But what about the turtles and the ape?" the man wondered.

"I can pick up the hunt again. Don't you worry. I know them like the back of my own hand," Bonesteel said before swiftly walking away.

__

China, Shanghai. 1:30 a.m.

A tear fell down Venus' cheek when she saw what had become of her Master's old home. No longer was there an ornate dock or a cozy, small building. Instead there stood an apartment block; big, ugly and obtrusive. Her old home had been demolished, along with its many fantastic memories of childhood. "It's been too long…" Venus said softly, realising all that had changed to her homeland.

"Come on. Let's get underground so we can get some sleep," Leonardo said sadly.

"Daddy I'm hungry," Diana whined.

"We're all hungry sweetie," Mike said softly to the little girl. Saddened by the fact that Venus had lost her home, the turtles went below ground in order to hopefully find both shelter and safety. They were all tired and depressed. The series of flights they had experienced were incredibly monotonous and tiring for all of them. Slightly jet lagged, they stumbled through the filthy sewers until they finally found a decent place to rest for the night.

"So what next?" Don asked, knowing that they're plan of using Venus' place had backfired. Mike shrugged in response while Diana started to fall asleep on his lap.

"It stinks down here," Silver muttered his usual criticism. For once they all agreed with him. They all watched as Venus checked her eggs in the incubator. Although it wasn't plugged in, Don had assured her they would be alright in there along with the blanket. Silver suddenly stood up and started to leave.

"Where are you going?" Venus called out after him, but the ape didn't reply. Five minutes later he returned, along with a whole arm full of food and the daily newspaper. The turtles, especially Leonardo and Donatello were shocked.

"What's all this for?" Don uttered.

"Thought you guys were hungry," Silver replied instantly. Once Mike had woken Diana up again, they all immediately tucked into the food.

"So how did you get it so quickly," Leo wondered with a mouth full of rice.

"Please… I made my living by stealing," Silver said modestly. Raphael raised an eye ridge at that comment, slowly becoming more and more intrigued by Silver and his motives. "Oh yeah, I found this article about Bonesteel in this newspaper… though I can't read it," Silver said while handing the Cantonese newspaper with a picture of Bonesteel on it to Venus. The female turtle read through it once while everyone waited anxiously for her response.

"Well… What's it about?" Mike blurted out curiously.

"It talks about our escape from quarantine, and how Bonesteel found our lair in Australia…" Venus said while she scanned the small article for some other relevant information. "Hmm… Bonesteel returned to New York!" Venus said out of surprise.

"Why?" Leo questioned.

"I don't know. 'For business reasons' it says," Venus said while continuing to read it through again.

"I guess it was a good thing we left then," Donatello said quietly.

"I guess so," Mike said with a smile before giving Don a friendly slap on the shoulder.

With food in their bellies, their mood skyrocketed to satisfaction and contentment. Yet the late night snack still didn't cure their tiredness. Together as a large and happy family, they fell asleep in the sewer tunnel… all except for one.

"Hey… Silver," Raph whispered over to the large sleeping ape, not wanting to wake up anybody else. When nobody stirred, Raphael crawled over to the ape and shook him awake.

"Wha'? What is it?" Silver asked grumpily, but Raphael quickly hushed him. Being sneaky, the two mutants quietly crept down the tunnel so that they could speak to each other properly. "What's this all about?" Silver yawned tiredly.

"I want to go back to New York," Raphael said. Silver raised one of his eyebrows.

"And what's that got to do with me?" Silver wondered before he yawned again.

"Because I want you to come with me," Raphael said bluntly.

"Why?" The ape was puzzled.

"If you help me get revenge on my father's killer, Dr Welner, then I'll help you get revenge on Bonesteel. They're both currently in New York…" Raphael tried to persuade him.

"Your dad will kill me," Silver said in disagreement.

"No he won't. He'll understand," Raphael pleaded.

"If he understands, then why aren't you taking up this issue with him?" Silver rebutted. Raphael sighed knowing that the ape had a point.

"Please… They don't want me to avenge my father…" Raph said sadly.

"Well maybe there's a reason for that," Silver added. Raph sighed.

"You're the only one I can turn to for this… Please… This will be the only time both Welner and Bonesteel will be in the same city. I know that it won't be long till Bonesteel chases us again, and then we'll have to keep on moving around," Raphael continued to plead, knowing how their world worked. Silver sighed. The child had a point.

"Okay, let's say we board a plane to the United States tonight. How will your parents know where you are?" Silver wondered.

"They won't. I know them. They won't leave China without me. And I promise that when we get back, I'll make sure you won't take any of the blame," Raphael bargained. Although Silver hated the poorly developed plan, his need for revenge was stronger. The ape outstretched his arm and shook hands with the boy, finalising the deal.

"Go pack your things. It's going to be another long plane flight," Silver said. The boy was about to go and collect his belongings when a familiar voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Raph… Raphael?" Diana tiredly walked up to him.

"Diana, why are you awake?" Raphael asked, wanting to get out of the place.

"I… I heard you talking," Diana said tiredly as she rubbed her eyes.

"Diana. Go back to bed. We won't talk anymore," Raphael said urgently, scared that his little sister could ruin his plans.

"But, but I heard you talking. I don't want you to go to, to New York," Diana pouted, somehow knowing deep down that something was wrong.

"Diana, listen. You don't want to be a tattletale right?" Raphael asked her. The girl shook her head. "Well promise me that you won't tell mum or dad about me going to New York, okay?" Raphael tried, scared that his parents would stop him from the getting revenge. Though unsure, the girl eventually nodded her head. "Now remember that promises are forever. You can't break them," Raphael asked for confirmation. The girl slowly nodded her head again. "Okay then. Now go back to bed, alright," Raphael told her.

Defeated, Diana slowly slinked back to where she was sleeping before, though she didn't close her eyes. Extremely worried and confused, she watched as Raphael and Silver packed up a few items before leaving the area entirely.


	30. Silver's Past

Rene – In Australia, the American spelling is only starting to be accepted (I blame it on the younger generation and Sesame Street ). I wanted to change over a while ago, but I asked my English teacher and she said that some exam markers will only like the British spelling, and that I'd be marked down if I spell the American way with all the z's. So for that reason, I've decided to keep spelling words the British way so I don't develop a bad habit in exam situations. I will however use American terminology whenever I can remember as I know that most of my readers are American. But here's the annoying part… I've got American spell check, so every time I write realise or summarise etc, I get a red error line underneath so it makes it hard to find the real mistakes I've made. Thanks for helping me pick up the misspellings earlier, and I've updated the previous chapter since I really don't like leaving character's names spelt wrong.

Chapter 30: Silver's Past.

Donatello sighed, once again not being able to fall into a deep sleep. Just like the previous night, he could sense that something was wrong, yet he knew that he was just simply imagining things again. Nevertheless, the fact remained that he couldn't sleep, so he opened his eyes out of boredom. Noticing the resting bodies of his family around him, Donatello was about to ignore his feelings of dread, until he did a double take and found that Silver, Raphael and Diana were indeed missing.

Starting to worry, Donatello looked down the tunnel and found Diana. She was standing all alone; staring out into the dark depths of the vast sewer system as though she was expecting or waiting for someone to return. Highly curious, Don stood up and approached the little girl. "Hey Diana. What are you doing out of bed?" Don asked Diana lightly with a kind tone to his voice.

"I'm waiting for, for Raphael," was all the girl said with a slightly scared tone.

"Where have Raphael and Silver gone?" Don wondered, getting more and more worried as the time passed. Diana's lip trembled with confused and opposing thoughts. Don urgently bent down on one knee and looked her in the eyes. "Please, Diana. Tell your uncle Donatello," the turtle urged.

"But… but Raph said that I would be a tad, taddie tayle," Diana attempted to explain, trying to use her brother's exact words. Don put both of his hands on her shoulders.

"Diana… please. You can tell me. I won't get angry," Don tried a more calmer and trusting approach. Diana shook her head as a tear started to roll down her cheek. "What exactly did Raphael say to you?" Donatello asked another question, beginning to get impatient. He hoped that his interrogation wouldn't be in vain due to the girl's naiveté.

"He, he said that I couldn't tell mummy or daddy where he was going 'cause, 'cause then I'd be a, a taddie tayle if I told mummy and daddy where he was going," Diana explained further with more reason. Don nodded quietly and suddenly thought of how he could persuade his niece into telling him the information he so desperately needed.

"But Diana, I'm not your mummy or daddy. I'm your uncle. Raphael didn't say that you couldn't tell me. So please; where is Raph? I promise I won't be angry," Donatello pleaded in a gentle voice. The little girl stared at her uncle until she decided that he had a point; she had only promised not to tell Venus and Leonardo.

"Raph and, and Silver have gone to New… New York-"

"New York?" Don interrupted in surprise. A sudden urgency ripped through his body. "Where? Why, Diana?"

"'Cause, 'cause-" Diana shed another tear, realising that she couldn't say or remember the words in order to tell her uncle more detail about the current situation.

"Because what?" Don urged her on with increasing anxiety.

"'Cause, 'cause he wanted re… rev, revenge and…" Diana trailed off as another tear fell to the floor. She started to feel guilty that she hadn't told someone else sooner as she had a feeling that this information was highly important. Donatello sighed, knowing what Raphael was planning. Why Silver was with him, he did not know.

In an instant Donatello woke up everybody else in the tunnel. "What is it Donny?" Leo asked, slightly disorientated from his sudden awakening.

"Raphael and Silver are gone," Donatello said to them all urgently.

"What?! Where?" Leonardo was suddenly wide awake.

"They've gone back to New York, Leo. Raphael wants his revenge on Dr Welner," Don informed him. Everyone was quiet for a moment as they allowed for the sentence to sink in.

"Let's get to the airport," Leonardo decided seriously.

__

21 hours later. Flight 158; Los Angeles to New York.

Raphael nervously looked around when he realised that it was almost time to land. "We'll be getting off soon," Silver suddenly reconfirmed. Raphael simply nodded in understanding. The two mutants had barely said anything to each other throughout the entire trip; too uneasy and worried about the future of their mission to strike up a conversation. Yet as the length of silence increased, so did their boredom. Thankfully for most of the time either or both of them were sleeping so that there was an 'excuse' as to why there was no conversation. Yet with Raphael being the curious and insightful child he was, towards the end of the series of flights he could no longer stand the extreme quietness. As Raphael stared at Silver, while the large ape stared straight back, the boy suddenly thought of something he'd always wanted to ask.

"Hey… Silver?" Raph started his question.

"Hmm," Silver lazily hummed in answer out of pure boredom.

"Back at the zoo… when Dr Aquel did her keeper talks… she classified you as a Yeti because she didn't know what else to call you. Well… what are you?" Raphael asked awkwardly. Silver stared at the boy as though he was thinking whether or not he should answer his legitimate question. Concluding that the boy was in no means a threat, Silver decided to discuss what he rarely spoke about; his past.

"Kid… Dr Aquel was right," was all Silver said. Raphael's eyes opened wider.

"So… So you are a Yeti!?" Raphael uttered out in surprise. Silver nodded slowly.

"My family was the pride of the Himalayas," Silver repeated what he had once said to Michelangelo many, many years ago, though this time he announced it in a sadder tone.

"But I thought that Yeti's were brown?" Raph wondered out loud.

"They are. I'm just an albino… a mutant," Silver said with a slight scowl at his genetic makeup.

"But you don't have red eyes," Raphael stated, not believing his ears. Silver suddenly gave him a smirk.

"That's the kindergarten version," Silver said, wanting to break the stereotype. "Just because I'm an albino doesn't mean that I have to have white hair and red eyes like a rabbit. See, there are different types of albinism. I've only got a loss of pigmentation in my fur, while with some humans, they might only have no pigmentation in their eyes, giving them gray or red iris'," Silver explained. "Either way, my colouring made me an outcast of my species," Silver mumbled.

"So what happened to your family?" Raphael boldly asked. Silver sighed and looked at the young boy.

"What happened to my species, you mean," Silver corrected his question gloomily. "You see, there were many Yeti clans within the mountains and we each had our own territory. My family, naturally, had the best land," Silver said sadly, though there was still a proud look in his eyes.

"So what happened?" Raphael urged the talking ape on.

"Humans," Silver summarised with a growl in his voice. "They kept trying to find us; study us. Then they wanted to live there, so when their civilisation increased, our territory decreased in size. It wasn't long then till they brought their diseases as well," Silver scowled. Raphael fell silent, not daring to ask what happened next. But the boy didn't need to as Silver continued his story without encouragement from the young turtle.

"Chicken Pox. It was harmless enough for young humans, but not for Yetis. While baby humans only got itchy sores, my species suffered large blisters, both outside and inside the body. After a couple of days, the blisters began to swell, and if you were unfortunate enough to have blisters down your windpipe, then you choked to death," Silver explained quietly, shuddering as he remembered all the horrific memories. "If you didn't choke to death, then eventually you died from infection when the blisters started to burst," Silver finished the rest.

Raphael took a moment to let all the information he had just heard sink in. "So how many died from the disease?" Raph wondered.

"My whole species… apart from me," Silver said grimly. "It was an outbreak, but somehow I was immune. Maybe it was because I had the albinism gene, or maybe it was because I was cursed to be an outcast and be alone for all of my life… I don't know. I don't know why I was saved while the others died," Silver detested. "I waited though. When all of my family had passed away, I knew that another clan would quickly take over our territory and that I'd be exiled or killed as an enemy. So I reluctantly waited for them… but no one ever came. Two months later, after not seeing any other Yetis, I came to the decision that I was the last of my kind," Silver completed his story about the ordeals he faced while in the Himalayas.

"So how come you eventually led a life of crime with a bunch of henchmen?" Raphael was extremely curious now.

"Well I just wanted to leave the mountains. I stayed in China for a while, but somehow I could never fully grasp the language, unlike your mother," Silver said while Raphael simply gave him a small grin in response. "So I quickly learned English and hopped on a boat to explore the Western world, not really knowing what to expect. I chose America because at that particular time it was known as the land of opportunity. I soon found myself in Queens, New York, trying to make a living through terrorising the bums on the street, and I guess through doing that I began to loathe the human race," Silver summarised. Raphael nodded in understanding, as he had similar thoughts imbedded into his mind.

Silver took a deep breath and sighed. "I guess I just wanted what they had," the ape admitted softly. "It was about that time when a powerful crime syndicate developed in New York City. They called themselves the Foot," Silver added while looking directly at Raphael, knowing that the boy knew of the ninja clan as well. "They managed to capture me and use me as 'target practice' for their training in defeating their mutant enemies," Silver continued, still looking straight into Raphael's sorrowful eyes. "They were the ones who called me Silver. I guess it was kind of a stereotypical fighting alias or something. But it wasn't all bad. While I was there I learnt how the Foot members stole items and gained money, how to sneak into museums and whatnot. I never met the leader, Oroku, Oruko Sushi, or whatever his name was though," Silver said, remembering the conversation he had with Mike in the zoo about Oroku Saki.

"Then one day there was a revolt. I was freed by a couple of disloyal members and… well… from then on they became my henchmen. Using all the skills I had learnt while being a prisoner, I took up a life of crime, becoming competition for the Foot and leading a more luxurious lifestyle out of the citizen's expense," Silver said, ending his long story about his past.

"Think you'll ever go back to the Himalayas?" Raphael asked genuinely.

"Maybe… I suppose I'll return when there's nothing left for me in Western society. Who knows, there could very well be other Yetis out there that I have yet to meet," Silver started to think positively. All of a sudden they felt the plane starting to descend. "So do you know where this scientist guy lives?" Silver asked the boy. Raphael shook his head as an answer. "You don't plan things out fully, do you?" Silver noted bluntly.

"I know that he used to work at the zoo though. If we go there, then we might find some old files on him or something," Raphael suggested on a whim.

"I'm not going back there if we can help it," Silver threatened.

"I promise I'll help you find and defeat Bonesteel," Raphael pleaded and blackmailed the ape.

"You better. You'll owe me for this," Silver stated.

__

At the zoo, 11 p.m.

Dr Yesmal looked at the portable clock on his desk before yawning. Although the mutants were well and truly gone, the scientist still stayed behind after work in order to conduct further research into the biological samples they had obtained when the creatures were still in captivity. In the hopes that they'd one day be returned to the zoo, Dr Yesmal had planned out a breeding schedule; knowing exactly what animal was compatible with another so to prolong the inevitability of inbreeding.

Sitting at his desk and jotting down some notes onto a pad of paper, Dr Yesmal yawned once again and looked up from his work. He jumped in shock when he saw Raphael in the corner of his office. The adult scowled at him while he stared at the bullet wound, the bulky muscles and his many, many battle scars on his shell. Dr Yesmal closed his eyes and counted to ten before opening them again. Just like an apparition the deceased adult turtle was gone. "I should stop working so late," the scientist muttered to himself before he delved into his notes once again. Yet the ghost had made him uneasy, as though the turtle wanted to leap out and hit him. As freaked out as he was at that moment, he eventually managed to calm down and completely focus on the task at hand.

Ten minutes passed and nothing had happened. Dr Yesmal read through his notes before looking up once again. He jumped in shock when he saw another turtle in the corner of his office, but this time it wasn't a ghost, but rather his son. The boy walked forward while the scientist moved back. Dr Yesmal eyed the tranquilizer dart gun in the rack against the wall. Desperate, he lurched out for it, but his trip was painfully interrupted as Raphael threw a single sai through his hand. Dr Yesmal forgot about the gun and started to scream in agony. Both terrified at what he had done, yet loving his suffering at the same time, Raphael shakily stepped forward, pulled out the sai and pushed the scientist back into his seat.

Partially mesmerised by the blood that was pooling out of his hand and onto the sleek table, Raphael suddenly snapped out of his frightened trance and tried to act more serious. "Um… I want to know where Dr Welner lives…" Raphael said uncertainly. Dr Yesmal didn't react and instead he kept calling out for help. Completely inexperienced in the situation, Raph decided to ask again, but with this time more force. "Where does Dr Welner live?" Raphael yelled. Dr Yesmal calmed down yet he still didn't answer. Acting on instinct, Raphael slammed his bloodied sai into the desk near the scientist's injured hand. "Where is he?!" Raphael seethed, starting to get used to the art of interrogation.

"I… I'll have to… to check," Dr Yesmal managed to stutter through his pain. He shakily stood up and slowly walked over to the filing cabinet by the wall. Carefully he flicked through the numerous files until he found one with past employee information, making sure that he didn't make any sudden movements for fear that the turtle might attack him again. With his uninjured still shaking, he handed the file to Raphael. The boy anxiously flicked through and found the address on one of the pages, which he then ripped out and tucked it into the back of his bandanna for safekeeping. Starting to get scared himself, Raph chucked the rest of the file on the desk and swiftly exited the room.

"How'd it go?" Silver asked, standing outside the office keeping guard.

"Um… Okay," Raphael said, still shaken about what he had committed.

"I heard screaming," Silver said, slightly concerned.

"Don't worry about it. Let's just get out of here," Raphael said quickly and started to walk away.

When he was certain the two creatures were gone, Dr Yesmal swiftly ripped a part of his lab coat and tied it around his puncture wound. When he felt the bleeding had slowed, he picked up the phone on his desk and made two phone calls; one to Dr Welner as a warning, and one to Bonesteel to tip him off as to where the runaways would be.

__

One hour later. Dr Welner's apartment.

Dr Welner nervously clutched the rifle in his hands. He had been tiredly waiting in the kitchen of his home for almost an hour. Nervous, he started his routine patrol and checked in on his heavily pregnant wife. He sighed with relief when he found her still sleeping, safe and sound. "This is stupid," Dr Welner murmured under his breath. "Prank call or something… Killer turtle coming after me… What gives Yesmal the right…" the ex-scientist muttered to himself while he put his gun away back into his locked closet. He kept murmuring those thoughts while he headed back to bed, trying to convince himself that the warning he'd received wasn't true.

"Is everything alright?" his wife asked tiredly when he finally returned to bed.

"Yeah. Must've been a prank call," Dr Welner said while fixing up his sheets on his side of the mattress. Dr Welner closed his eyes and tried to allow the comfort of sleep to take over. Still slightly nervous, the man thought he heard some movement within the room. Edgy, Dr Welner reached out and turned on his bedside lamp. He jumped in shock when he saw the eight year old turtle next to his bed with both sai unsheathed. Rudely roused from her sleep, Dr Welner's wife started screaming, causing Raphael to hesitate in swiftly killing his target.

The boy was scared, knowing that he was way out of his depth. He knew that Silver was in the next room to help if something unfavourable were to happen, such as Dr Welner fighting back with an improvised weapon. Yet there was still plenty on doubt in Raph's mind. With all the talks he had with his parents and uncles, he started to wonder whether he was doing the right thing; if this really was justice. Then he remembered why he was here in the first place and suddenly a surge of anger rippled through his small body. Raising both sai above his head, Dr Welner yelled with fright when he realised that this could be the end.

Suddenly the glass window which looked onto the fire escape smashed into smithereens. As quick as a flash, Raphael was disarmed and pushed away from the ex-scientist. The boy looked in astonishment at Leonardo, not expecting him to be in New York. Michelangelo and Donatello quickly entered the apartment following Leo's lead before Venus helped Diana cross through the smashed glass. "Are you alright sir?" Leo asked Dr Welner and his pregnant wife. Numbed by trauma, the man simply nodded in response.

"Why… Why are you here?!" Raphael suddenly protested. Silver could hear the commotion in the other room, though he decided to remain hidden in the rest of the apartment for the time being knowing that Leo would not be pleased by his appearance.

"Raphael, we cannot let you do this," Leonardo said sternly.

"Why not?! Why can't I have my revenge?" Raphael argued. Leo sighed, sensing that the boy already knew the answer yet he was too stubborn to listen to his gut feelings.

"Raphael you know why already. Killing this man will only make you sink to his level," Leonardo said softly, pointing to the pregnant wife who was shaking like a leaf in fear. In an instant, Raphael understood why he was so hesitant. The wife was just like Venus when his father was killed, and the unborn child would grow up and lead a similar life like himself. He was hesitant because exacting revenge wasn't just about Dr Welner, but it affected the man's whole family as well, and Raphael didn't want them, the innocent, to suffer. "Come on. I didn't chase you half way across the world for nothing," Leo said.

Defeated, Raphael walked over and rejoined his family, knowing that he couldn't find it in himself to commit the deed anyway. Realising his mistakes, a few anguished tears escaped from his eyes. "I'm sorry dad," Raphael said, slightly shaken about what might have taken place. If he had killed Dr Welner, then the horrible darkness of anger would have taken over his mind and scarred him for life. As a ninja, he wasn't ready to murder someone yet, and even if he was, he couldn't find the honour in killing a man in front of his pregnant wife. A part of his mind sighed with relief, knowing that a monster within himself could have been created that night.

"Let's go, okay," Leo soothed his adopted son. The entire turtle family turned to leave, but instead of facing an empty fire escape, they found Bonesteel holding a tranquilizer dart gun in front on their face. Immediately the turtles backed away, giving the hunter some room.

"It's getting easier every time," Bonesteel commented with an evil smirk on his face.

"Bonesteel!" Dr Welner called out in relief, wanting to be saved from the horrible creatures in his apartment. With a smile, the hunter kept approaching the turtles, while they kept stepping back, until they hit the bedroom wall.

"Now who should be put to sleep first?" Bonesteel inquired cruelly.

"You should be," Silver growled, bursting in from the next room. Surprised at the Yeti's abrupt appearance, Bonesteel attempted to quickly shoot Silver, yet he failed and missed in his haste. Grasping at the opportunity, before Bonesteel had time to reload, Silver grabbed onto the hunter's neck hard and fast. Using his hidden strength, Silver lifted Bonesteel off the ground. The hunter kicked and flinched, gasping for the precious air that was hardly getting through to his lungs. Blood rushed to his head, but Bonesteel managed to stay alive despite the burning sensations in his throat. Deciding that he had had enough of playing around, Silver made the final blow. Lifting his free hand, Silver grabbed Bonesteel across the face while still holding him above ground with his other. Then, with a simple twist of the wrist, the hunter's neck was snapped clean and fast.

A scream was heard from the two humans, while a gasp of horror was uttered from the family of turtles. Silver continued to hold the limp carcass above ground until he abruptly tossed it to the floor like a dirty rag doll. The body of their most feared opponent laid motionless on the carpet of the apartment; his neck was twisted at a bizarre angle. After a minute of being in extreme silence, it became clear that Bonesteel was dead.


	31. Rest In Peace

__

A/N: This is the second to last chapter. I'd like to take this time to thank you for all you're support and reviews as I really appreciate it. Upon saying that, I'll put your fears to rest and say that Bonesteel was the character death I was planning… I just wanted to freak you out by mentioning it earlier :P Sorry about the late update, but I was swamped with homework for the last two weeks, and now I'm on holidays so it shouldn't be too long till the last chapter is posted. Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed this story, and for those who celebrate it, I hope you had a wonderful Independence Day.

Chapter 31: Rest In Peace.

Silent as the night itself, the turtles and Silver continued to stare at the dead body on the floor. When the sight had sunk in, a smile of relief swept across their faces, though the expression disappeared when they witnessed Dr Welner and his wife's faces of sheer horror. Leonardo cleared his throat and spoke up. "I'm sorry for any inconvenience that was caused tonight. We'll now leave in peace," he said quietly. Together as a group they left in silence; carefully stepping over the lifeless body as they moved towards the fire escape.

As they headed up to the rooftop where they left the incubator, eggs and their other belongings, Leonardo figured that justice was in the end served that night. Revenge didn't necessarily mean that Dr Welner had to die, after all the Shredder wasn't killed but rather redeemed. Although Raphael thought that in some ways he had failed, in light of the coincidental turn of events, it seemed to Leonardo that Dr Welner would still suffer regardless. A dead body was now lying in his bedroom, and not just anybody, but rather a celebrity of the hunting world. Bad publicity would fill the headlines in just under a couple of hours. But it didn't stop at that. Because of the zoo's claims and Dr Welner's constant insistence to the public that the turtles and Silver weren't intelligent beings, it would be unlikely for the police to believe his story. Yet even if the proper authorities did believe the truthful events, Dr Welner would have to contradict himself and come clean with saying how they weren't completely honest to the media and public in the first place.

Leonardo still hadn't figured out what it would mean to them, or what difference it would make if the public knew how intelligent they really were. Leo knew that the zoo keepers thought they were smart, hence the tough and strict protocols involving sound proof glass and limited contact, insuring that no friendships, alliances or emotions of sympathy were produced. They had lied to the media and thus the public, mainly so they could cover up any future controversies or arising problems with animal cruelty or human rights. Although Welner, Yesmal, Quease and Aquel knew their true potential, a lot of them tried to deny it; whether it was the promise of a constant source of money and tourism or because they wanted to do their jobs in a detached state of mind, Leo hadn't decided yet. Yet he was certain on one thing; Dr Welner had a hard couple of months ahead of him, whatever he decided to do. _'It shall be interesting,'_ Leo thought to himself with a smile.

When they reached the roof of the building, Venus opened the incubator and checked to see if the eggs were still warm. "Are they okay?" Donatello asked.

"For now they are," Venus answered in a worried tone.

"So… what are we going to do now?" Mike wondered.

"Well, going back to China is fairly useless considering that Venus' old home has been demolished," Donatello assessed.

"Please, no more flying. I've had enough to last me a lifetime," Venus groaned.

"Agreed," Mike said.

"Well I guess we can stay in New York for a few days considering Bonesteel's no longer a problem. However… there'll no doubt be someone else to fill his place," Leo muttered softly.

"So we're going back to our old lair?" Mike asked out of excitement, wanting to visit the place he spent his teen years. Leonardo sadly shook his head.

"Other scientists know of that location," Leo countered.

"Come back to my place then," Silver offered with a sigh. All the turtles looked at the yeti in shock, surprised that he had actually made a generous suggestion.

"But… don't some scientists know where you live as well?" Leo wondered.

"Yeah, but I have more than one lair," Silver replied with a roll of his eyes.

"What, the one underneath Central Park?" Mike wondered. Silver shook his head. "The apartment in Queens?" Mike tried to guess where they were going. Silver shook his head again.

"I'm talking about the flat in Brooklyn," Silver said. "It's not that far from here," Silver commented in persuasion.

"What lair was that?" Don thought out loud.

"The one no one including yourselves knew about… Duh," Silver said while rolling his eyes again. With a shrug of the shoulders, the curious group of turtles followed the ape back down to ground level, and when Donatello had retrieved the Hog again, the herd of mutants set forth to Silver's secret and unknown lair.

"Here we are. Home sweet home," Silver mumbled half an hour later when they had finally reached their destination. The turtles looked around and were absolutely flabbergasted at the amount of jewels that were carelessly strewn across the floor and room.

"Are you sure this place is… secure?" Leo asked Silver, knowing how many humans would like to get their hands on the fair stash of riches.

"It's been years and still nobody has stolen my gold, so yeah, it's safe," Silver commented lightly before jumping over a couple of piles of jewels in order to reach his old bedroom door.

"Now who said crime doesn't pay?" Mike said with a grin, still surprised at his overly shiny and twinkling surroundings. As Mike, Don and Leo started to put down their bags of belongings, while Venus plugged in the incubator at the nearest electrical outlet she could find, Raphael looked to the floor and couldn't help but feel as though he had betrayed his family; going behind their backs to do something that they would never agree on. He felt horribly confused, not knowing what was right and what was wrong. Raph knew that he wanted to honour his father and he thought that avenging his death would have been the answer to his problems, but instead it created new ones. The boy shuddered when he remembered Dr Yesmal's facial expression when he had injured him, and although he was scared, feelings of grotesque pleasure upon seeing the scientist squirm were also mixed, which in turn made him more frightened of himself. Raphael was finally able to see what he was capable of, and a part of him didn't like it.

"Raphael, are you alright now?" Leonardo asked before they all settled down to sleep. The boy looked away, too confused with all the contradictory feelings he was experiencing to answer. "You don't regret what I did, do you?" Leonardo asked softly.

"I've failed…" Raphael whispered.

"Raphael," Leo started while he sat down beside the boy. "Revenge is a tricky thing. Killing isn't always the answer; there's always an alternative, and since all life is precious, killing can only be done sparingly otherwise you risk becoming heartless and lonely. You see, with revenge, instead of healing your own pain, you only inflict it onto others, and even if you do succeed, you still feel like you've failed because you've never truly overcome or accepted the truth. Raphael, no matter how many people you hurt, the past will always be the same," Leo lectured gently.

"But he needs to be remembered… Something has to be done," Raphael retaliated.

"And something will be done," Leo said firmly.

"Like what?" Raphael wondered.

"…I have an idea. I promise I'll make it up to you," Leonardo said seriously.

__

Central Park, the following night.

The coffee table's legs had been removed and the polish had been slowly but surely sanded back. After raiding Bonesteel's New York warehouse earlier that day, the remains of their deceased family member was finally theirs to keep. That night, a burial site was carefully chosen amongst the mulch that surrounded the serene pond in Central Park. It was a quiet and secluded spot; a place that Raphael would admire if he were still alive. Using a couple of shovels they had 'borrowed' from a nearby hardware store, Leo, Mike and Don set to work in digging a large hole that was deep enough so that no one would disturb Raph's grave. Although it was tiring work, no one complained as this was an extremely important task.

Together as a team, they each laid a hand on the bodiless shell and gradually lowered it into the dark depths of the earth. When complete, they all stood back and stared at the lifeless remains of what was once a great ninja.

No one had predicted that it would be this hard to bury a loved one. Everyone could only stare and remember the past. There were so many memories, yet they were just that, as nobody had acquired the vocabulary to turn those cherished images of the mind into words. No one could pour their heart into their mouth and verbally announce their raw emotions. So instead, they spoke with their hearts and relied on the silence to express their mixture of feelings. With a whirlwind of thoughts, they each experienced gratitude, thankfulness, sadness, grief and above all, love. The deep and heavy cloud of sorrow had been lifted from their conscience as they stared at the final resting place of Raphael, and although it was a morbid scene, not one of them could deny the strange sense of beauty that filled the air; a lingering soul was finally put to rest.

Little by little the large shell disappeared into the earth forever when Leo, Mike and Don started to replace the dirt. Sighs of relief were uttered when the surrounding mulch was swept over the grave, making it look like nothing had ever taken place that night. "Thank you," Raphael suddenly said to the others, breaking the stillness of the affair. The rest of the family gave him a small smile.

"He can now finally rest in peace," Mike whispered in reply. "It took eight years… but at least, I guess, he can move on now," Mike continued.

"We can finally move on now," Donatello added as a correction.

"I'm glad we did this," Venus said softly, finally feeling as though her grieving process was complete. With a clear conscience, the turtle family headed off back to Silver's hideout, where the ape was waiting for them to return. Feeling the grass between his toes and the calm breeze on his face, Raphael looked upwards towards the sky and smiled at the heavens, hoping, just hoping, that his father had found peace and was smiling back down on him.

__

A few hours later, JFK Airport.

With nothing else left for them in New York, the turtles and Silver unanimously decided to move on. By now the news of Bonesteel's death had reached world headlines, and during the careful forensic investigation, Leeroy was taken into custody as Bonesteel's dealing with the black market had been discovered. To the public, Simon Bonesteel had lived life like a hero, but he died a villain. Currently all of Bonesteel's illegal trophies were being taken into customs, making the turtle family extremely grateful that they had received and found Raphael's shell before the authorities did.

There was a lot of controversy surrounding Dr Welner and Yesmal on what happened the previous night. Yet although to the turtles it seemed that their enemies were tied up and disposed of like a neat, little package, they knew that it wouldn't be long till someone else stepped up and followed their trail. Dr Yesmal could be considered a witness, and therefore the alert that the mutant turtles and the yeti were within the city could be sounded. It was time to say goodbye to New York and leave; never to return.

Hiding in a dark corner, the family watched as a figure wearing a trench coat and fedora approached them. "What flights are there, Don?" Leo asked, wondering what his brother discovered inside the building.

"Um, leaving within the hour is a flight to London, one to Paris, I think there's a flight to Canada as well. Going in the other direction, there's a plane going to Los Angeles and another to San Francisco," Donatello informed them.

"So what will it be?" Leo asked with a sigh.

"Sarah's in London," Mike said with a wink.

"What do you think Venus?" Leo asked for her opinion, wondering if she'd want to head back towards Asia.

"I think for now we should just get out of New York and America. I wouldn't mind going back to London, considering that we know the place so well. Just until we figure out something else," Venus came to a decision. Donatello nodded in agreement.

"What gate is it?" Leo asked.

"Gate twelve," Donatello answered.

"London it is," Leonardo announced. The turtle family started to walk over towards the area where their plane should be, but they stopped when they noticed that Silver wasn't following. "What's wrong?" Leo wondered.

"What gate is the flight to Los Angeles departing from?" Silver asked quietly.

"Gate twenty-three. Why?" Don replied.

"Are you thinking of going back home? To the Himalayas?" Raphael asked. Silver simply nodded slowly.

"There's nothing else for me to do," Silver said.

"You could come with us," Leo invited.

"Thanks but, I'll pass," Silver replied, not wanting to bother the turtle family anymore. "I think the answer for me is to go back to basics. I could live in any city in the world, steal to make a living, have all the jewels I could ever want, but… that will never save me from being captured again nor will it change the fact that I'm the last yeti. I've been thinking about it a lot lately, and I want to see if there's a better future for me out there. I mean, I've got nothing to lose as I could always come back to the city," Silver reasoned more to himself than to the turtles.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Venus asked.

"Positive," Silver said firmly. Leo gave him a small smile.

"Then good luck Silver. I hope you find what you're looking for," Leo said while he extended his right hand. Silver looked at it and smiled back.

"Thanks for everything you've done for me… Leonardo," Silver said while he shook the turtle's hand. Leo's smile grew wider when he finally heard his real name. After a couple more handshakes and a few waves, the two species went their separate ways.

__

London, England.

Sarah looked up from her costume design sketches when she heard a few consecutive knocks. Knowing that the sound didn't originate from the front door of her apartment, she curiously walked into the next room and stared out the window. She smiled at the group of grinning turtles standing outside on her fire escape.

"Hi guys! What are you doing here?" Sarah welcomed though she was still surprised at their sudden arrival.

"Thought we might drop by for a visit," Mike said with a wide grin. Sarah smiled and gave the turtle a welcoming hug. She was about to do the same with the others, but she stopped when her eyes focused on an unknown family member. "Oh! I almost forgot!" Mike said, forgetting his manners. "Sarah, this is Donatello. Donatello, this is Sarah," Mike introduced the two.

"Oh, Mike's told me a lot about you," Sarah said as she shook his hand in greeting.

"Really?" Don was partly surprised.

"Yeah," Sarah said simply while admiring his eyes. When a short and awkward silence occurred, Sarah noted that the turtles were still holding their heavy bags. "Come in guys and put the bags down. Don't be scared," Sarah invited, breaking the atmosphere.

"Where can I put this?" Venus asked, holding the incubator in his hands. Sarah looked around the room before unplugging a lamp so the incubator could use the outlet instead.

"When are the eggs due to hatch?" Sarah wondered.

"In a few months time," Venus answered. Michelangelo bounded over once he had deposited the large black bag he had been carrying.

"The one with the 'M' is mine," Mike said with a smile. Sarah grinned back.

"It's cute," she humoured him. Sarah then noticed the two children standing aimlessly in the middle of the room. "And how have you guys been?" Sarah asked.

"Goooood," Diana answered in a happy, drawn out way.

"I'm fine. I'm happy," Raphael said, referring to the closure of grief he had experienced over the last two days. Sarah didn't know anything about it and simply smiled back to his response.

"So what do you kids want to do while I get dinner?" Sarah wondered. Diana grinned, pointed to the television set and jumped up and down in excitement, knowing how rare it was to watch one. Sarah and Raphael couldn't help but grin at her antics. "I know! I'll put 'Finding Nemo' on. Would you like that?" Sarah asked. Diana nodded, even though she hadn't heard of it before.

"That's a good movie," Donatello commented.

"Have you seen it?" Sarah wondered.

"Yeah, I sneaked into a cinema one night. It's pretty good," Don said simply while admiring her hair and fine features. Michelangelo frowned slightly when he noticed the looks being exchanged between Don and Sarah.

"I'll help you with dinner!" Mike suddenly announced, leaping at the opportunity to drag Sarah away. The human couldn't help but laugh at his optimism.

"Would you like to help out as well?" Sarah asked the mysterious turtle wearing purple once she had calmed down slightly from all the giggling.

"Nah, I'm not that good in the kitchen," Don said modestly.

"Yeah Don's not that skilled with cooking," Mike said quickly before pulling Sarah away into the kitchen. With a lonely sigh, Donatello plunked himself onto the couch and began to watch the movie with the two children. Leonardo and Venus soon joined him on the couch a while later.

Halfway through the movie, Sarah announced that dinner was ready. Diana whined when the DVD had to be paused, especially since they were at the turtle part of the movie. Nevertheless they were all extremely hungry, and none of them could remember the last time they had a meal this grand. Once the steaming piles of food were laid out neatly on the table, everyone served themselves and began to feast.

"I heard Bonesteel was killed," Sarah was the one to start the conversation. Everyone stopped chewing for a few seconds.

"Yeah, Silver killed him," Leo informed her.

"Who's Silver?" Sarah wondered.

"You know, that ape that was in the enclosure with us. He's Silver," Michelangelo told her. "Because Bonetseel was the one who caught him, Silver wanted revenge," Mike added, planning on telling Sarah the rest of the story later on in the night.

"Oh, I was just wondering if you guys had something to do with it because Dr Aquel phoned me earlier today," Sarah said. Once again, the turtles all stopped chewing.

"What about?" Leo wondered.

"She finished reading my thesis and she loved it. She says that she's going to include my research into their records about your species. Also, Dr Welner's lawyer wants to start gathering up information so they can prepare a case. Dr Aquel said that they might include my findings," Sarah said with a smile.

"Oh…" was all Leo uttered.

"Do you think Dr Welner will win?" Raphael asked, slightly wanting the scientist to be put in jail.

"I don't know, but his lawyer apparently said that he's got a lot of things to prove and explain. It'll be difficult for him, but he hasn't been charged with anything yet," Sarah said. "Oh! And Dr Aquel also said that you've made it into the Guinness World Records for laying the world's largest egg. They apparently weighed and measured them in Australia while you were stuck in quarantine," Sarah told Venus.

"Yay, I beat the ostrich," Venus said with a small smile. She knew all along that her eggs were the largest in the world, and she was glad that after all the pain she had gone through she was finally recognised.

"So what type of research did you do?" Donatello questioned.

"I basically studied behavioural patterns and compared them to a humans," Sarah summarised.

"Are you still interested in the sciences?" Don asked.

"I am, but I had to change career tracks after I freed your family," Sarah explained to him.

"So what do you do now for a living?" Donatello asked, quickly becoming acquainted.

"I'm a fashion designer," Sarah said simply. "Mikey told me that you're interested in science," Sarah commented.

"Yeah, mainly chemistry and physics. I'm good with mathematics as well," Donatello summarised.

"So where have you been hiding all these years? Australia?" Sarah wondered.

"Is it that obvious?" Don answered lightly, knowing that she had noticed his accent. Sarah grinned.

"I have to admit that I thought you were Irish at first," Sarah joked.

"Irish? That's a new one. I've been mistaken for being South African before, but never Irish," Don replied with a smile.

"Well it's not as though I hear the accent every day," Sarah said. "So how'd you end up in Australia?" Sarah wondered.

"Well, I was transferred from the zoo to the Pentagon, where I worked there for a few months, before my caretaker, Joseph Fiffer, released me. I then headed to Sydney, mainly because I thought the rest of my family was going to be there," Donatello answered.

"The Pentagon? What did you do in the Pentagon?" Sarah was extremely interested now, much to Mike's disappointment.

"Mathematical equations, code cracking, things like that. I would have been transferred over to NASA though had there not have been a huge surge of terrorist activity at the time. I think the Pentagon needed me more than NASA in the end," Donatello explained.

"Wow. That must have been a great experience for you… well, not great, but you know what I mean," Sarah corrected herself. Donatello smiled.

"Yeah, it was alright working there for a few months, though any longer I would have gone crazy," Donatello said with a smile.

"So you must be pretty smart then," Sarah figured.

"Only in science and mathematics," Donatello said modestly.

"Yeah, he still can't cook," Mike interrupted. The turtle in orange watched as Diana finished her meal and yawned in tiredness. "We should finish off the rest of the movie before the kids get too tired," Mike used his niece as an excuse to stop the conversation between Don and Sarah, feeling slightly threatened with how well they were getting on with each other.

"Oh yeah, we should," Sarah agreed while starting to collect the empty plates on the table.

"That was very nice Sarah," Don complimented as he handed her his plate. The human smiled.

"Thanks Donatello," Sarah accepted.

"You can call me Don if you like," the turtle said, feeling more and more relaxed around her. Mike's eyes narrowed.

"Uncle Mikey!!" Diana whined from her position in front of the television, wanting him to start the DVD again. With a sigh, the turtle got up from the table and started the movie once again.

"Where are we up to?" Sarah asked when she had packed away all the dishes. Before Michelangelo could answer her question, Donatello had already done so.

"We're up to where they meet Crush," Don answered. With a small smile, Sarah sat down next to Don, simply not seeing the gesture that Mike gave her. Slightly annoyed, Mike stood up and sat on the other side of Sarah, but it didn't make that much of a difference. All the way through the rest of the movie, there was a soft hum of conversation going on at the same time. By the time the credit's rolled, Sarah's head was tiredly resting on Donny's shoulder.

Mike looked at the time and then to Sarah. "I think it's time to go to bed," Mike stated simply. Sarah checked her watched and nodded.

"Will you guys be alright sleeping on the floor?" she asked.

"Anything's better than sleeping in the sewers," Leonardo commented.

"Thank you for letting us stay here," Venus said.

"That's alright guys," Sarah said through a yawn. "Well, I better go to bed. See you in the morning. Goodnight Mikey," Sarah said while she headed for her bedroom. Mike sighed with relief, momentarily thinking that he had simply been overreacting with Sarah's sudden fascination with Donatello. But his fear and anger quickly returned. "Goodnight Don," Sarah added a split second later. Mike felt his heart drop.

"Goodnight," Mike and Don answered at the same time.

"So what do you think of Sarah?" Venus asked Donatello.

"I think she's a really nice girl," Don replied.

"Yeah that's great Don," Mike quipped before rolling over and turning his back on him so he could start going to sleep. Donatello stared at Michelangelo for a few moments, wondering what he had done to deserve such a sharp comment. Though no matter how long he thought about it, Mike still ignored him for the rest of the night.

When morning finally came, Michelangelo woke up early so he could start breakfast for the family. "Smells nice," Sarah commented with a smile when she finally emerged from her bedroom.

"We've got to figure out where we're going to go today," Leo said to the group, already planning ahead.

"Thinking of leaving London?" Sarah asked.

"We have to. We get spotted too easily in this city," Leo reasoned. "Do you happen to have an atlas?" Leo asked.

"I've got a world map," Sarah said.

"Even better," Leo smiled.

Once everyone had eaten their bacon and eggs that were beautifully cooked by Mike, Leo cleared the table and the whole family plus Sarah inspected the map in search of a new destination. "What about Paris?" Mike suggested.

"Do you know French?" Leo answered rhetorically.

"But a lot of people in Europe can speak the English language anyway, so the language barrier won't be that bad," Donatello reasoned.

"Except for France," Sarah said, remembering the troubles she experienced when she went over there for a short weekend holiday.

"What about Berlin then?" Mike suggested.

"Or Auckland, New Zealand," Don wondered.

"Tokyo would be alright," Venus suggested as well. They each looked to Leo who seemed to be deep in thought. When he didn't answer, the rest of the family kept on suggesting locations.

"Moscow."

"Vancouver."

"Beijing."

"Cairo," Raphael soon joined in.

"Perth."

"Rio de Janeiro."

"Johannesburg."

"Delhi."

"Kuala Lumpur."

"Rome."

"Istanbul."

"Silver was right," Leo suddenly interrupted their guessing game.

"What do you mean?" Mike wondered.

"When he said that the answer is to go back to basics," Leo said with his thoughts still drifting off.

"Meaning…?" Mike urged him to continue.

"No matter where we go, essentially every city is the same. Wherever there's people, there's the risk of being spotted," Leonardo summarised.

"But we need people to survive; to get food and shelter," Donatello said.

"And that's what the scientists are relying on. They know that we like to live in city environments," Leonardo had a revelation.

"So are you suggesting that we should live where there are no humans around?" Venus asked.

"Like Antarctica," Don said with slight sarcasm, causing Sarah to giggle with amusement at the concept.

"No, not that drastic," Leo replied. "Just a place where there's nature," Leo added.

"Unfortunately there aren't that many natural places left in the world," Donatello commented.

Leonardo looked down when he felt his daughter poke his leg. "What, what about Aff… Afreecar?" Diana suggested. Leo smiled.

"Heh, I think Africa's a little _too_ wild for us," Leo said, picturing himself getting eaten by a lion or getting chased by a hippopotamus.

"Yeah, I'm still scared about that documentary Donny showed me years ago where a snake devoured an adult male antelope," Mike said, agreeing with Leonardo.

"Oh yeah, I remember. You couldn't sleep for three days after that!" Donatello chuckled along with Leonardo who remembered it as well.

"Well what about the Amazon?" Mike suggested once again.

"Jaguars," Leo reminded him.

"Anacondas," Don added.

"Caimans," Venus joined in.

"Spiders as big as dinner plates," Sarah added.

"Okay, okay! I get the picture!" Mike gave up. Just when someone else was about to suggest another ridiculous location, Raphael stepped forward, closed his eyes, and twirled his finger around. Blindly the boy pointed to an area on the map. Everyone gathered around to see where his finger had landed.

"That could work," Donatello commented.

"I think we've found our new home," Leo said with a smile, liking the location Raphael had picked.

"So when are you thinking of leaving?" Sarah questioned.

"Later on this afternoon," Leo said sadly, yet he knew that they couldn't burden the woman forever; they had to eventually find a suitable place to live.

"I'll really miss you guys," Sarah said quietly.

"You're always welcome to visit," Mike piped up. The human smiled once again at her green friends, wondering how long it would be until she saw them again. Yet deep down inside, she knew that they had to leave. Civilisation was not a place for ninja turtles to live.


	32. Starlight Questions

Rene – Hehe, I do that with the Bible as well. But somehow I always end up in Psalms o.0 But as you said, whatever you point to it always seems to relate to the situation that you're in… which kinda freaks me out sometimes :P I'm glad you had a wonderful July 4th and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story.

A/N: There are some new ninja weapons that are mentioned in this chapter, so instead of including an out-of-place description within the story, I've decided to just describe them here;

Shuriken – Ninja throwing star. It was usually used as a distraction, though it could be used as a weapon.

Kama – The kama is basically just a sickle, with a 11-12 inch blade and a slightly longer handle. They are usually used in pairs and swung in various arcs and crescents. When the slashing motions are combined with the forward momentum of the ninja, devastating effects can result. If a chain and weight is added to the base of the kama's handle, then the weapon is called a kusari-gama. On the Fox Box version of the TMNT, you can see the kusari-gama be used by some Foot members.

Fukiya – Blowgun. It can be used for shooting darts or as a snorkel to swim underwater unnoticed.

Shobo – The shobo is a ring that is worn on the middle finger which has a dull/sharp piece of wood attached to it. It is a small weapon and was used to strike pressure points within the body – the neck was the main target.

Chapter 32: Starlight Questions.

__

Four years later. Kauai, Hawaii.

A young man treaded lightly through the thick fens that covered the forest floor. With a video camera attached to a tripod, which in turn was slung over his shoulder, the man searched for the perfect location to film the new movie he was currently working on. The island of Kauai had been used numerous times for various blockbuster movies, such as 'Jurassic Park: The Lost World', 'Jurassic Park III', 'Dragonfly' and the classic 'King Kong', 'South Pacific' and 'Lord of the Flies', while the nearby lake was featured in the beginning of 'Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark'. It seemed to be the perfect place to film a movie that was set on an island, despite the recent rumours that something evil lurked in the woods.

The man was about to shrug off the negative gossip he had heard about the mystical 'beasties' of Kauai when all of a sudden he thought he sensed someone following him. He stopped and looked around, only to find the usual trees, ferns and leaf litter. The man shook his head thinking that his imagination was playing tricks on him before continuing on with his search. A flash of green whirled by on his left, while something else darted from tree to tree on his right. The man rationally thought it was a bird at first, but when he realised that there were no bird calls being sounded through the air, he started to become spooked. A metallic object then suddenly flew past a few inches in front of his face. That was all he needed in order to start running in the other direction as fast as he could; too freaked out to continue his search for a movie location.

When the human was gone, a hoot of laughter erupted through the prehistoric-like forest. Michelangelo, Raphael and Diana emerged from their hiding places with large smiles across their faces. Raphael was now twelve years old and his bandanna was long enough to reach the top of rim of his carapace. Yet although his ninjitsu training had only increased and developed over the years, the prepubescent boy still had a slim build.

Diana, on the other hand, was now eight years old. Due to her dedication and genuine interest in the martial arts, her white bandanna was slightly longer than what Raphael's was when he was at her age. When it came to training, she was like her father, always trying to perfect the new moves she had been taught. Her technique was excellent, unlike her older brother, however she didn't have the natural fighting skills that Raphael had. Diana didn't respond to her instincts and instead relied heavily on her training, which made her highly predictable when it came to sparring. In order to break her out of the habit she was starting to develop, Leonardo had recently started training her with a weapon, the kama. For the time being, Diana was starting to rely on impulse when it came to weapon combat, but her parents knew that she was still young and that she had a long way to go.

"Did you see the look on his face?! Priceless!" Raphael grinned at Mike and Diana.

"You didn't have to throw a shuriken in front of his face though," Mike said on a more serious note.

"But then we wouldn't have scared him away so easily," Raphael commented.

"Isn't this the fifth film crew member this month?" Diana asked both Mike and Raph.

"Yeah… They must be planning something big," Mike muttered, reminding himself that he would have to talk to Leo about the recent rise in human encounters. "Now get your shuriken back," Mike ordered Raphael. The boy groaned in response. "C'mon, you threw it, now you get it back," Mike remained firm.

Raphael waded through the ferns until he came to a tree. On a closer inspection, he found the small metallic object lodged in its trunk. Carefully he gripped the sides and tried to pull the shuriken out, but it didn't budge. "I can't get it!" Raphael complained.

"Let me try," Mike lent a helping hand. The adult gripped the shuriken and tried his best to yank it out, but it still wouldn't move. "How hard did you throw it?" Mike wondered as he tried again. Suddenly the metal throwing star dislodged and Mike fell backwards and landed on his carapace from his own momentum. The two children started to laugh at his stunt, causing Michelangelo to smile at his own antics as well. Yet the giggling stopped when Mike's eyes didn't move from the top of the tree.

"What are you looking at?" Diana wondered. Mike pointed to the forest's canopy.

"Do either of you remember how many coconuts we've got left at the lair?" Mike asked the two children. Raphael and Diana remained thoughtful. To them, coconuts were like milk; they could never remember whether or not they had too little, or too much. Mike sighed when neither of the younger turtles answered. "I s'pose we'll just get three then while we're here," Mike decided. The adult swiftly took a sai from Raphael's belt, aimed, and threw the weapon towards the clump of coconuts at the top of the tree. He missed entirely and the sai went plummeting towards the ground.

"You suck Mikey!" Raphael teased while Mike retrieved his weapon.

"Oh really?! Since you're such an expert, why don't you try?" Mike challenged playfully. The adult gave Raph his sai back, which the boy then aimed and threw. The single sai clipped one coconut, causing it to wobble slightly, but it still didn't fall. "As you were saying…" Mike teased.

"At least I hit it!" Raphael replied while crossing his arms.

"You need to throw it with more force," Diana advised her older brother after observing the whole situation.

"I'll race ya to the top," Raphael challenged his half-sister, still in a competitive mood. The girl shook her head, knowing that she wasn't good at climbing trees. Diana handed him a single kama, and seconds later her brother climbed to the top of the coconut tree like a monkey. Ever since they had escaped from the zoo, Raphael had practiced climbing trees, mainly because he simply wasn't afraid of falling anymore. No one else on the turtle clan could climb as well as him, making the boy highly useful in coconut food raids. Kauai had a huge coconut plantation, so the amount they took could never be noticed, and if all their other food resources failed, they could always rely on eating the coconuts for survival.

"Heads up!" Raphael called out after hacking at the clump of coconuts at the top with Diana's kama. Mike and Diana immediately stepped away as three heavy round balls dropped to the ground with a thud. A few seconds later, Raphael was on the forest floor once again, safe and sound.

"Good job," Mike complimented the boy while he picked up the round sources of food off the ground. "C'mon, let's go," Mike said happily when he was comfortably holding the coconuts in his arms. The trio set off in the direction of their lair. Michelangelo wiggled his toes as they walked through the forest. Even though he had lived there for years, he still loved the outdoors. Despite the fact that he was half expecting a tyrannosaurus or another dinosaur to leap out a grab him most of the time because his imagination kept on running wild, he still loved the atmosphere of the place. The island was just so mysteriously beautiful that Mike could never get used to or bored with the location.

The sunlight trickled onto the forest floor, making dappled shapes and swirls amongst the leaf litter. A couple of native birds twittered in the canopy while the faint hum of running water could be heard in the distance. The environment was so tranquil, starkly contrasting the busy and loud New York streets that Mike and his brothers were used to when they were growing up. The air was fresh and cool, not foul like the drafts in the sewers were.

Although it seemed like a paradise, when they had first moved to Hawaii, a lot of lifestyle changes had to be made. Leonardo and Venus were the first to adjust completely to their new surroundings; both of them feeling more relaxed and content with the seclusion of the area. Also it was closer to how traditional ninjas lived and trained, making the place seem more sentimental and greater to raise children in. Michelangelo and Donatello however took a long time to adjust. With Mike being so reliant on popular culture and with Don loving electronics, both of them had to compensate their interests and adopt something else to do. They hated the first couple of months, but when the 'twins' started to hatch, they had plenty on their plate to do.

While Mike was occupied with his child for the next few years, Donatello started to get into agriculture. During the first couple of months in Hawaii, they had to frequently visit the towns located around the coasts. But soon Donatello used the fertile volcanic soil to their advantage, and started to grow their own crops. After years of investment and time, the family were now growing a number of different vegetables and fruits in various places around the island; not wanting to grow them all in the same place as it would look suspicious from the air. Utilising the crops they had grown, the coconuts and the fish from the fresh water rivers as food sources, these days they only had to go into town for emergency purposes.

Starting to feel hungry, Mike, Raphael and Diana made a quick pit stop to check how a few of the crops were going. Raph and Diana looked on as Mike checked the cabbages' leaves for signs of disease or other unhealthy properties, while also inspecting to see whether the crops were being irrigated properly. "This lot seems alright," Mike reported to the two children. "I don't think there's any need to inspect the other crops," Mike said, suggesting that they should go straight back to the lair.

The sound of running water got closer and closer the further they walked through the forest. The trio soon came to a familiar shallow and wide stream. This was their main fishing ground, where they would sometimes catch fish to eat. The stream was also a sign that their lair was reasonably close. Like it was a normal habit, the three turtles gently waded across the river, not even hesitating for a split second. Though unlike other times, Michelangelo stopped walking halfway across. He groaned when he saw an all too familiar little turtle further down the stream.

The three turtles watched in silence as Iris suddenly threw the spear she was holding and punctured a fish. Mike smiled at his four-year-old daughter. Iris was named after the goddess of the rainbow, although Donatello knew that Mike only used that as an excuse and that he really named Iris after the Goo Goo Dolls song. Her short, yellow bandanna suited her bubbly personality, and if there was one word that could summarise Mike's daughter, it would be 'loud'. Iris was known to holler, shout, sing, yell, growl, bark, snort, click, burp, pop, bleat and sometimes she would even roar. It was because of this reason, the adults were glad they moved away from human civilisation as the newest members of the clan didn't understand the dangers of the outside world.

Mike continued to observe his daughter from a distance as she splashed around in the stream, trying to grab the wriggling fish that she had speared. What was interesting, or freaky as Raphael would say, was that Iris had excellent aim for a child of her age. She simply had a natural talent for judging distances and adjusting her strength and angle accordingly. No one knew how she did it, but everyone had speculated that she might have inherited her aim from her mother. From what Leonardo could see, in the future Iris would be most suited to using projectile weapons. Although Mike really wanted her to learn how to use the nunchucks, even he couldn't deny the potential she had with learning the more traditional kunoichi weapons such as the bow and arrow. Leo had even speculated that she could also be trained more professionally in the shuriken and fukiya; making the rare one hit kills.

"Iris!" Mike called out. The little turtle looked at her father and grinned. Iris suddenly grasped the water-deprived fish and bounded over to her father.

"Look! Look! Look what I caught daddy!" Iris said with a very large grin, detaching the fish from her makeshift spear and holding it up. Mike smiled at his daughter. She wasn't as fair as Diana was at her age, as Iris' skin was quite tanned and her nose had a number of freckles caused by being out in the sun for extended periods of time.

"That's very good! But aren't you suppose to be having a ninja lesson right now?" Mike questioned. With a big grin on her face, Iris shook her head from side to side. That meant yes. Mike groaned, knowing that Leo was going to give him a hard time when he finally got back to the lair. "Iris, you know not to wander off. You don't want a dinosaur to come and eat you do you? You they only eat naughty children," Mike threatened. With wide and frightened eyes, Iris quickly stood by her father's side and hugged his leg for protection. Diana giggled at her naiveté, while Raphael simply rolled his eyes. Ever since they were little, Iris and Gabriel, Leo's son, were told that if they were to wander away from the lair too far, then dinosaurs would get them. Although it seemed as cruel as the boogie man stories, it was necessary to keep them close to the lair when they were young and reasonably defenseless as there still was the possibility of humans spotting them. However Gabriel had started to doubt the dinosaur threat, but it still worked really well on Iris.

Michelangelo handed the coconuts over to Raphael before giving Iris a piggyback ride. While she sat on top of her father's shoulders, the trio continued to wade across the stream. Ten minutes later, the turtles walked past a very familiar lake. "Guess what Iris! We're passing the Indiana Jones River!" Mike announced to his daughter. Immediately the two turtles started to sing and hum the theme song loudly, causing Raph and Diana to look at each other and roll their eyes simultaneously. They both knew the river's real name was Hulei'a Stream, but that didn't stop Mike calling it improperly because the opening scenes of his favourite action movie was filmed there. A few minutes later, the turtles turned inland and started to partly walk up the tall mountain that was in the middle of the island. It wasn't long then till they had reached their lair.

Mike and the three children looked around, noticing the small cave they used for shelter when the weather got rough, the collection of food that was ready to be either cooked or eaten raw, the Hog that was parked nicely between two trees, and the various inventions Donny had developed over the years. It was a rather shady location and it wasn't an obvious place for a lair, which was good considering there were a lot of plane flights over the island. As the four turtles walked in closer, they saw Leonardo and Venus looking very worried, however when the two saw Mike and Iris, their stance became more relaxed. "Iris! We've been looking all over for you!" Venus said with relief, though there was a hint of annoyance in her tone.

"Where was she?" Leo sternly asked Mike.

"At the stream. Fishing," Mike said simply. Leonardo raised an eye-ridge.

"See! See! Look what I got!!" the girl excitedly jumped off Mike's shoulders and bounced up and down with the dead fish in her hands. A small spread across Leo's face when he witnessed her antics, though he quickly returned to a stern stance.

"Iris. It's good that you caught a fish, but you shouldn't wander off on your own. Especially when you have a ninja lesson. You want to be a ninja, don't you?" Leo asked. The little girl nodded immediately. "Well then, to be a ninja, you have to attend your lessons. Now don't wander off again or I'll get some dinosaurs to chase after you," Leo ended his rather short lecture. Iris frowned and gave her uncle the saddest puppy dog face she could muster, showing that she wouldn't do it again… at least for the next hour or so.

"I'm sorry about this Leo," Mike apologised on his daughter's behalf.

"She's got to stop wandering off like that. She's got to understand the dangers out there," Leo replied. Mike sighed and nodded his head.

"I'll give her a ninjitsu lesson and make sure she catches up," Mike said, taking on the responsibility.

"We saw a human in the forest earlier," Raphael reported.

"Really? Where?" Leo quickly became concerned.

"Near the edge of the wildlife reserve. Close to the coconut plantations," Mike said.

"He was part of a film crew," Diana added. Leonardo sighed. Filmmakers were the worst type of intruders as not only was there a threat of being spotted by a human, but also the scary thought of being unknowingly taped as proof of their existence.

"Hopefully he won't be too much of a problem," Leo muttered. The turtle then raised an eye-ridge at the coconuts in Raphael's grip. "Why'd you get coconuts?" Leo questioned.

"What do you mean?" Raph replied.

"Well we've got a stack load left to use," Leo said while pointing the large pile of coconuts near the entrance of the small cave. Mike, Raph and Diana all groaned. Leo simply smiled. "You guys forgot how many we had again, didn't you?" Leo asked. The trio nodded. "I suppose we could use a few more," Leo shrugged indifferently. With tired arms, Raph grumpily trudged over to the pile to dump his load, while Mike continued to talk to Leo. Diana meanwhile decided to visit her uncle Donatello.

She found him in his usual spot where he worked on his inventions. It also wasn't a surprise when she found her little brother Gabriel with him as well, since Don tended to be his favourite uncle. Named after the angel theme that was sort of started by Raphael, he wore a black bandanna and shared similar looks and facial features with his older sister. In some ways, Gabriel could be considered to be the exact opposite of Iris, in that he was usually a quiet child and kept to himself most of the time. He was very particular and precise with things, which was why he liked to help his uncle with his inventions. Combined with a rather long attention span, Gabriel was the perfect candidate to learn the Shinobi ways.

Venus always wanted to pass on her Master's teachings to her children, yet it didn't never seemed to end up that way. Although Raphael had learnt a few techniques off his mother, he still preferred to simply use his sai and only rely on his chi in emergency circumstances. Diana was starting to go on the same route as her older brother as she was normally strongly influenced by him. Iris, on the other hand, simply didn't have the patience nor the will to learn or meditate, which left Gabriel to solely inherit his mother's lessons. To Leo, it worked out well, as he was thinking of making Gabriel a more close range fighter. Due to his son's attention to detail, he was thinking of equipping him in his later years with the shobo, which, when combined with being trained in the Internal Arts, Gabriel would be able to accurately attack the enemy's pressure points and possibly stop their chi flow, which in turn could lock their joints or render them seriously ill. But it would take many more years of training till he became that powerful.

"What are you working on?" Diana asked Donatello as she headed over. Although Donatello was rather busy in recent years with growing and farming crops, he still managed to find the time to continue on with his passion of technology and develop a solar power panel. When it was first made, the clan wanted to use the electricity so that they could watch television just like in the old days. So they went into town, got a television, hooked it up to the solar panel… only to find that they didn't have any reception on their side of the island. After that plan failed, the panel was used for more practical purposes, such as powering up a grill so they didn't have to create an obvious bonfire in order to cook some of their meals. In more recent times however, another, smaller solar panel had been developed, mainly because Donatello realised couldn't live life without a computer.

Donatello typed in a few things on the keyboard and stared for a few seconds later at the computer screen before answering. "I'm just fine tuning my map of the island. Adding the trails we use, known tourist destinations that we should avoid, things like that," Donatello summarised. Diana sat down on the ground beside her uncle while Gabriel crawled over so he could sit on his sister's lap.

"He, he calls it 'The Eye in the, the Sky'," Gabriel explained to his sister. Diana gave him a gentle smile before giving him a hug.

"So what are we going to use it for?" Diana wondered.

"Well, the program I've invented can read heat signals, so if there are any approaching humans, we'll be able to know their exact location. Also, I've mapped out other suitable places for lairs, just in case something happens, and it'll come in handy when Gabriel and Iris have to learn the trails that we use to get around the island," Donatello explained to her with his eyes still glued to the screen.

"Cool," was all Diana said in response after not knowing what else to say. "Have you heard anything from Sarah?" Diana wondered out of curiosity. Over the past four years Sarah had only managed to visit Hawaii twice, mainly because she was extremely busy in her field of work; always having a fashion show, magazine covers and stage production costumes to design. When she did eventually have time to visit, the turtles would usually meet her at night in one of the towns. Though the last time she came, she spent most of the night with Donatello. Don denied the claims that it was a date, but Michelangelo was still rather annoyed with the incident.

"No, I haven't heard anything from her for a while now," Donatello replied calmly, but Diana could sense the hint of sadness in his voice. Gabriel and Diana then simultaneously turned their heads to watch Raphael approach.

"Hey Diana. I want to show you something," Raphael said.

"What?" Diana asked while giving him a suspicious look.

"Come on, I'll show ya," Raphael urged.

"Can Gabriel come to?" Diana asked, as she wanted a witness just in case Raphael was planning on doing something horrible to her.

"Yeah, alright. But it'll be a bit of a hike," Raph warned the young boy. Gabriel silently looked over to Donatello.

"It's alright. You can go," Don said, giving Gabriel permission to leave. The boy smiled and quickly ran after his siblings. Pushing through a couple of ferns, the turtles started to climb further up the mountain, though it wasn't long till someone else joined the trio.

"Iris! Go home!" Rahael called out to the yellow bandanna-wearing turtle. Iris frowned and for the second time that day she used her sad puppy dog expression.

"Aww, it's alright. She can come," Diana gave in. Iris instantly smiled upon hearing her sister's words.

"No she can't! She supposed to be having a ninjitsu lesson right now!" Raphael argued. Iris made the sad puppy dog face again. Raphael stared at her and eventually began to feel sorry for the little girl. "Fine, she can come," Raphael grumped. Overjoyed, Iris bounded over to the others.

"Where, where are we going?" Iris instantly questioned.

"Somewhere special," Raphael replied.

"Why?" Iris questioned again.

"Because I want to," Raphael stated.

'So… where, where do you want to go?" Iris questioned. Raphael groaned, knowing she had only reworded the original question.

"Why do you want to know?" Raphael asked as an experiment.

"'Cause I want to," Iris replied.

"Want what?"

"To know!"

"Why?"

"'Cause I do!" Iris was started to get frustrated. Raphael simply continued.

"Do what you know?"

"Know what?"

"What you wanted to do," Raphael replied casually.

"Do what?"

"What you wanted!" Raphael said.

"What?" Iris remained silent for the next few minutes, holding an extremely confused expression on her face. Raphael smiled with success.

"That was mean. You shouldn't have used a ninja trick…" Diana whispered to Raph.

"It shut her up, didn't it," Raphael responded with a smirk. The group of turtles moved in silence as they climbed higher and higher up the mountain. Soon, after a few twists and turns through the rocks, they reached their destination. Raphael watched as Diana and Gabriel stood in awe of the beautiful waterfall, before frowning at Iris when he realised that she was already bored.

"Wow… How did you find this place?" Diana wondered.

"Leo and I did a bit of exploring last week so we could find another place to grow crops, or another, backup lair," Raphael explained. "We found this lagoon in the process," Raph finished. All four turtles looked down where the waterfall splashed and joined the deep and glistening pool at the bottom. A small beach could be seen from the outcrop of rocks they were standing on as well as some trees. Looking further away, they realised that from the ledge they were on, they could see all the way to the coast.

Raphael suddenly dived off the rock and plummeted into the water below. "Raph!" Diana screamed in shock. A wave of relief swept over her when Raphael resurfaced. "You idiot! You should have checked the depth first!" Diana yelled, getting angry at her brother's stupidity. Raphael simply smiled at her angry yet sensible suggestion.

"Nah, it's alright! Jump in! It's quicker!" Raphael urged her. Diana watched in shock as Iris pin dropped into the water below.

"Iris!" Diana yelled out, surprised that the little four-year-old would do such a stunt. The girl quickly resurfaced and giggled hysterically.

"See! It's safe!" Raphael tried to convince Diana and Gabriel. Diana was about to give in and jump, but she stopped when she noticed her younger brother's worried expression.

"I think I'll just climb down with Gabriel," Diana yelled to Raph from the outcrop.

"Well hurry it up already! There's something you've got to see!" Raphael yelled back, starting to get impatient. While waiting, Raphael swam to the secluded beach while Iris continued to play in the water. "Took you long enough. I told you it was quicker to jump," Raphael said when he saw Diana and Gabriel finally emerge through some trees.

"What did you want to show me?" Diana asked, getting tired. Raphael put a finger to his mouth to signal her to be quiet. The two, along with Gabriel, crept across the beach until some tracks in the sand could be seen. "Are those baby turtle tracks?" Diana whispered to Raph after studying the small flipper-like imprints. The boy simply nodded.

"A clutch must've hatched recently," Raphael answered. Gabriel suddenly poked his sister and pointed at something further along the beach. He then swiftly ran over, completely fixated on the spot. "What is it?" Raphael asked.

"Turtles!" Gabriel answered with delight. Raphael and Diana ran over just in time to see a mass of wriggling bodies emerge from the sand. The three watched in silence as the numerous baby turtle flipped and flopped their way to the water. They looked so helpless and fragile, but the three of them knew better than to touch them as they knew it could cause more damage than harm.

"They're so cute," Diana said as she admired the rare sight. "Iris! Don't touch them!" Diana ordered abruptly when she saw the girl almost pick one up from the beach. Iris backed off almost immediately, partly shocked at her sister's unusually stern voice.

"Where do babies come from?" Iris questioned as she ran up to join the rest of the group.

"Um… I think you should ask your daddy," Raphael answered.

"But, but daddy told me to ask mummy, then mummy told me to, to ask daddy, so, so they won't tell me, 'cause they won't say," Iris tried to explain her predicament.

"Well maybe they don't want you to know," Raphael replied with a smirk.

"Uncle Donatello told me that, that babies are made when a man and woman get together and fur… fertilise eggs 'cause, 'cause they're in love," Gabriel wondered, wanting confirmation.

"Uh… that's mostly right… Just keep it a secret from Iris, okay," Raphael whispered and winked to Gabriel. Gabriel simply smiled back.

"Keep what a secret?" Iris whined.

"Do you think I'll ever have kids?" Diana questioned, still looking at the tiny turtle hatchlings that were nearly at the water's edge.

"I dunno," Raphael answered without much thought.

"I wanna know!" Iris hollered. "Tell me! Tell me! Tell me!" Iris begged.

"Think there, there will be more?" Gabriel asked his older sister.

"Maybe. There might be another clutch that is ready to hatch," Diana thought. When Iris had calmed down, the four children crowded around the nesting site hoping to see more baby turtles emerge and enter the wide world. Before they knew it, sunset quickly came, leaving the four in the fast approaching darkness. "We won't make it back before dark," Diana voiced her concern from her spot on the beach.

"We can always just spend the night here," Raphael suggested softly, partially worried as well.

"Kids!" Leo called out collectively as he emerged from the cluster of trees as if on cue. Venus quickly followed his lead. Instinctively Gabriel ran up to his parents.

"There you are!" Venus uttered with relief when she saw all four of her children.

"We, we saw some baby turtles hatch, and, and we saw them crawl to the water and swim away," Gabriel said with excitement in his voice.

"So that's what you guys have been doing. We were getting worried," Leonardo said. The two adults looked to the sky and noticed that the sun had almost disappeared for the day. "We should start heading back. Uncle Mikey's almost finished cooking dinner," Leo said to his son, though he also directed it towards the other three as well. Diana and Iris sighed and started to follow the two adults, knowing that they had to leave the peaceful place. Raphael however, didn't budge. Curious, Leonardo instructed Venus to lead the others back to the lair while he dealt with the twelve-year-old.

"Anything wrong?" Leonardo questioned as he sat down beside Raphael on the sand. The boy gently shook his head.

"Just looking, that's all," Raphael said while stared at the millions of stars in the sky. Leonardo looked upwards and admired them as well, leaving a few minutes of silence between them. "How did you know where to find me?" Raphael finally asked.

"Ever since we found this place you've visited everyday," Leonardo answered simply.

"I like it here," Raphael whispered. "I like how you can see the stars… I never knew there were so many," Raphael muttered more to himself than to Leo.

"Well you wouldn't have known. We can't see them at the lair because of the canopy, and you couldn't see them before when we lived in the city because of the lights," Leonardo answered in a matter of fact way. The two turtles remained silent for another couple of minutes while they stared in complete awe at the galaxies they could see from afar.

"Do you ever wonder how Silver's going?" Raphael suddenly asked.

"Sometimes," Leonardo answered truthfully.

"Do you think he's okay?"

"Well we haven't heard about him, so he hasn't been captured," Leonardo once again gave an informed response.

"Do you think we'll ever see him again?" Raphael asked quietly. Leonardo sighed and stayed silent for a few seconds.

"Maybe," he answered softly. As the stars continued to twinkle in the sky, Raphael began to wonder how long he would be able to see the sight. He wondered if the stars would ever disappear, if there'd ever be a time where he wouldn't be able to see them. The universe surrounded the world and could be seen by everyone, by everything. Yet in his childhood years there were no stars, only darkness.

"Dad… Diana said earlier today that five filmmakers have been seen throughout this month. Will they cause any problems for us?" Raphael asked with concern.

"Hopefully not. After all, we're ninja," Leonardo tried to look on the bright side.

"But do you think they'll ever find us?" Raphael was still reasonably worried.

"Well… there's always the possibility. But we'll keep hiding and they'll keep searching. It's just the way our world works," Leonardo summarised sadly. Raphael sighed and lay back on the sand, still staring at the starry night sky. With a smile, Leo copied and started to get more comfortable. "Know any constellations?" Leo asked. Raphael smiled and shook his head. "Neither. Not any in the Southern Hemisphere anyway," Leo replied.

"Is it true that they used to navigate ships by the stars?" Raphael questioned.

"Yeah, they used to know which way was North because of certain stars and constellations," Leonardo answered. The boy sighed, never realising how much there was indeed out there. At the same time, he was wondering who else in the world was staring at the sky right at the exact same moment they were; Silver, Sarah or maybe even one of their enemies. In an instant, Raphael remembered some of the other special times in his life, like the first moment he experienced life above ground in London, the night he attempted to escape from the zoo and even the time he buried his father. Every single time he looked up towards the sky, as if he was expecting an answer or at least some guidance for his troubled mind. It felt as though he wanted his life to be navigated towards safety, yet there were no stars to help.

But now he felt content, and now the stars shone as bright as the sun itself. It was, as one could say, happiness. Ever since his father had been buried, the stars had started to shine; visiting and comforting him every night without fail. Even with the shadow of the lair's canopy, he knew they were there, still shining brightly. "Do you think my father would be proud of me?" Raphael suddenly asked. Leonardo was taken aback for a moment, as the question seemed to have popped out of nowhere. Yet a large smile quickly swept across Leo's starlit face.

"I think you already know the answer," Leonardo said gently. The two stared at the stars for a few minutes longer until a cool breeze blew across the sand, sending chills through their shells. "We should start heading back now," Leonardo decided. The adult helped the boy off the ground and together they helped to dust the loose sand off of each other's carapaces.

"So what's for dinner?" Raphael asked as they started to walk off into the forest.

"Coconut casserole," Leonardo answered with a hungry smile. Raphael smiled back and continued to travel towards the lair. Unbeknownst to them, across the oceans and continents a woman named Sarah and a yeti called Silver stared towards the sky, and at that particular moment, the night sky answered with a twinkle of it's own; always shining, always guiding, always looking over an island and its mutant turtles.

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A/N: Well, that's it. I hope you all enjoyed the story. It will be a while till I'll be able to start a new story due to the amount of homework that I keep getting. But once I finish school I'll have about four months to do absolutely nothing, so hopefully I'll be posting heaps on fanfics then. Currently I've got a satire and another tragedy fic planned, so I hope I'll find the time to write them soon, along with a couple of short stories. Then again, I could always turn this into a trilogy! Anyway, once again I'd like to thank you all for reviewing and I hope you enjoyed reading the story.


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